GreenEyed Jealousy
by MissScaryKitty
Summary: Loki believed he had plently of reasons that justified his wrath, Sora's betrayal of their love was just one more. If she was so determined to stand between him and destroying Jotunhiem, then so be it. He would destroy them all. /A forbidden love which never should have been forged/ Loki/OC
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

"I knew it was only a matter of time till you came to me." Loki's voice filled the throne room as consul member Sora approached him. His helmeted figure cut a threatening silhouette as he sat in what was now _his_ throne.

Sora's breathing was shallow and quickened as she made her way across the room to the man that she had once considered her friend and lover. She dared not show him anything but humbleness in this moment as she reached the bottom dais of the throne. Sora bowed to him in respect, all the while hoping that she would be able to save them all from his destructive path. Her pale blue eyes met his mischievous green ones and she immediately felt something cold begin to grow in her chest. He was not the Loki she knew anymore.

"Your majesty, I'm here to seek an audience with you," She told him, her voice strong and even.

Loki gave her request some thought and then nodded to the guards at the door to leave them alone. Once they had gone, he descended the steps of his throne to meet her on the lower dais. He could see that his close proximity was beginning to intimidate her and he couldn't help but feel pleased by his new power over her. Sora was his consul now and like his father before him, he was the master of her puppet strings. This was a power more seductive than the one he felt when he would lie in his bed beside her as an equal.

He regarded her with a sympathetic gaze fitting of the morose occasion. Still something in his eyes seemed separate and distant. "What is it you wanted to speak with me about, Sora?"

Sora loved Loki but she knew he was a liar. It could be that everything he was saying at the moment, every emotion he was conveying was a lie. Yet underneath his masks, Loki had a deep reservoir of feeling within him which he concealed with lies and trickery. He felt things far deeper than most; love, anger, jealousy, sadness. But he did not wish to show anyone his true self, not to his family… not even to her whom he claimed to love above all else.

Sora avoided his eyes now, unable to bring herself to look in them.

"Loki, as you know, a great darkness has cast a shadow over Asgard. With Allfather in the Odin-Sleep, the burden now falls on you to make peace with the Frost Giants…"

Loki quietly circled behind her as she spoke. Her practiced words fell from her pretty mouth like a true politician and he was waiting for her to come to her point.

Sora didn't turn to follow him even though his predatory movements were highly unnerving to her. Instead, she stood her ground not wishing to show him any disrespect.

"… Even though your Council sues for peace with Jotunhiem, we must prepare for the worst. It seems that Laufey has been driven past negotiations. As much as you know I depose the idea, we must be ready to go to war. Therefore I ask that you allow Thor to return to spearhead the army as he did during your father's reign."

Loki said nothing as he stood behind her. He was not surprised with her request, yet the idea still angered him. After all they had been through together Sora was supposed to be his biggest supporter and yet she was advising him in this manner? She was supposed to be on his side and yet her support clearly lay elsewhere.

But in the big scheme of things that was no matter. He had greater designs for Asgard than she ever dreamed of and unlike her he had the power and drive to make his vision real. So he would pretend to indulge her in her silly pacifistic ideas of peace and unity while he did what was necessary to save them. Sora made the peace and prosperity of Asgard her life's work yet she had never been willing to do what must be done to create that change. After he destroyed Jotunhiem and restored peace to Asgard she would see that he was right all along. He knew that in the end he could make her bend to him. Whether it be by her will or his power, she would stand beside him.

A smirk spread across his face as he reached out and ran a finger down her one of her delicate shoulder blades, pulling away only when he reached the scoop of her raw silk tunic. Sora shivered in fear at his touch, unsure as to why he was acting this way. Even though she could not see the lustful hunger in his eyes as he stared at her, she felt the heat of his breath on the back of her neck and his lingering presence as he continued to stand behind her. He had touched her many times before, but she had never felt threatened by it. Not like she did now. This was no affectionate caress, it was bordering more on predatory.

"Loki," she spoke, her eyes wide and fixed on the gilded floor in front of her. Her voice was not quite so strong anymore. Her body was stiff and her breathing was shallow as she tried to compose herself. "Please talk to me."

"I thought we were talking." He said as he calmly rounded in front of her. His green eyes pinned her to the spot where she was standing. His intense gaze briefly flickered over her and then a ghost of a smile tugged at his lips. She could see the wheels of his mind turning in his head as he studied her.

She got the distinct impression that he was sizing up his competition. Loki was an extremely formidable opponent in the political arena. He was just as talented with words as she was, if not more so. He was smart, quick, crafty, and relentless. Even now, through his silence, she recognized that she was already losing ground to him. Still she had to continue to try and fight this. This could be the last chance anyone had with reasoning with him.

"I know I should not mention it-" She began to try to appeal to him again but then Loki cut her off.

"Yes you shouldn't," he agreed, giving her a warning glance.

"But I must," she continued. Loki saw a flash of defiance in her eyes, revealing where her loyalties lied and he briefly wondered if she cared for him at all anymore or if her morals had completely blinded her to the fact that it was him she was standing against now. "Thor is your brother, surely you can find a way to allow him to return."

"I love my brother more than anyone can know but I cannot break my father's oath. It is the law," he replied sternly.

He was standing only a foot away from her now, his clear green eyes looking down into hers. Sora could not tell if the sorrow they conveyed was real or not. His eyes always showed so much and yet they revealed so little when he was lying. They were the color of what Loki thought to be his mothers' eyes but now he recognized that they resembled the icy seas of his true homeland- of those demons that were his people.

"Laws can be unjust Loki. It is our duty to change them if we find them thus." She countered, hoping that he would not fight her reasoning. Sora did not want to fight him but if forced, she would stand between him and Asgard if she had to.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I don't own Thor... so hopefully Marvel won't send him down to Earth to mess me up (I have a feeling they'd go there with copyright violators).**

**Chapter 2:**

Loki's eyes narrowed as he walked past her and up to the steps of his throne. Sora was now treading the fine line that was his patience.

"I am bound by the dying words of my king and my father. Would you have me disgrace him?" He asked, stopping at the foot of the golden stairs.

"Of course not Loki," She told him, taking a step towards him. Sora wanted to put a comforting hand on his shoulder but she didn't dare.

Loki looked up at his throne and sighed quietly. Reaching up, he took off his helmet and set it on the banister. A moment of silence passed by before he turned back to talk to Sora.

"As a son I would be remorseful for breaking my father's oath although I'd consider my pains worth it. But as a king?... It would be an act that would lead to complete chaos. If I am unpopular now, imagine the peoples' mood when I betray the dying oath of their beloved king. It would be anarchy Sora. You must understand that I act as a king, not as a son."

Loki hid a satisfied smile as he looked down at Sora, seeing her trying desperately to formulate a counter argument. Loki had her at check and he wagered that it wouldn't be long until he had her at checkmate. Debate was her life but deception was his and he had already started in a winning position. At the end of the day, he was the highest law. He would have won either way but still he wanted her to come over to his side willingly rather than force her to it.

If only she and the others saw all that he saw and knew all that he knew they would not be so pitted against him. Thor would have destroyed them with his arrogance and his recklessness. Loki knew he had to stop him from ascending the throne in order to save Asgard.

When Loki was young he watched quietly from the shadows as his father indulged Thor's arrogance and his pride; making mistake after mistake with him. Odin and Thor were cast from the same mold but Loki was different. He was a quiet, observant boy who thirsted for knowledge, he was not inclined to war and fighting. Loki had to find different ways to get his father's attention or in most cases learn to live without it.

He took an interest in the magic and sorcery, exercising his mind rather than his body, and he grew a talent for mischief and trickery. Loki grew up outside of his father's praise and, for better or for worse, became a man quite different from his brother. Once his father finally recognized his mistakes with Thor it was too late. It was only because of Loki's lineage that his father chose Thor as his heir and now they were all paying for it in their own ways, even Loki himself.

Yes, Loki was jealous of his brother, but he also loved him as well. Even when Loki learned the truth of his birth he still loved him. He never desired to become king in the first place; he was too smart for that. But he knew that he was better suited for the position than his brother and if this is what he had to do to protect Asgard from Jotenhiem, Laufey, and Thor's foolish arrogance then so be it.

Sora watched her new king in concern. She knew Loki was conflicted; he had been for some time. There were times when she'd catch him on the balcony in his chambers looking out over Asgard, his expression hardened and his thoughts muddled. She knew he wasn't taking in the view but rather staring off into an empty void; sinking into a dark place where only he could go.

_Entering Loki's rooms, Sora quietly closed the door to the hallway behind her. She immediately spotted him on the balcony, his posture somewhat tense as he stared out over the city. He had not heard her come in so she walked across the stone floor of his large sitting room and out onto the balcony to him. She leaned on the banister, only a foot away from where Loki was standing. He briefly glanced down at her, offering a weak smile, and then looked back out to the horizon. _

_She stood next to him in silence for a moment, simply taking in the view. It was late in the day and the sun was low in the sky, casting its warm, golden glow across Asgard. The sunlight illuminated the conflict that was battling in Loki's green eyes, making Sora want to reach out and touch his hand in comfort. _

"_Whenever something troubles me I walk to the Naridian Falls. It's a beautiful place to be alone and think. I see your place of contemplation is a bit closer to home."_

"_Why do you think something is troubling me?" He asked, turning to her. He tried to mask that there was something wrong but the expression in his eyes told her all she needed to know._

_Sora smiled warmly, looking down at the gardens below them, "Intuition."_

_Although Loki told her nothing of what he had been thinking about, Sora simply being there for him helped ease his mind._

Sora felt Loki's eyes boring into her now as they stood in silence. Taking a shallow breath Sora began to speak once more,

"I know you are bound by your father's oath," she told him. "But I would never have asked you to consider it unless I thought it was necessary."

"I know what I am doing Sora. Is it so much to ask that you trust me?"

"I do trust you," this of course was a lie, but one she told very convincingly. The truth was she wished from the bottom of her heart that she could trust him but she knew this was an impossibility. "But we also know the pressure you are under. We worry about you."

"You say 'we' and yet you stand here alone." He pointed out. Sora heard the bitterness in his voice and anger looming behind his usually calm façade. Loki was barely maintaining his composure. "I know what the others think about this, about me-" Sora opened her mouth to protest but he immediately cut her off. "Don't try to speak to the contrary, even you can't find a viable excuse for their behavior."

"They are in shock Loki." She argued, stepping forward to meet him at the bottom of the stairs. Loki's eyes narrowed in anger at her challenging move. He couldn't believe that she would dare try to speak against him on this when she knew the truth perfectly well.

"He was not their father Sora!" He yelled, towering over her proud form. They were now toe to toe with each other, Loki's eyes boring into hers. Sora could feel his heat, taste his breath, but she was not going to budge.

"He was their king," She breathed with conviction. Sora was afraid he might go off on her but he didn't, instead he restrained himself with an expertise only Loki could have mastered.

"So he was," he nodded. "But now I am their king and they must learn to respect and serve me."

"They will Loki," She told him, placing a delicate hand on his shoulder. "But you have to give them something to believe in. We have to know what your plans are for this war."

Scene to be continued... There is more, it gets good, and reviews are my writing fuel so please review.

A/N: Thank you all for your wonderful reviews and support for this story, they really help me and make me smile! So thanks again to all of you :)


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: I do not own Thor... what a surprise and what a shame.**

**Chapter 3**

Loki glanced down at the hand on his shoulder and then back to Sora who slowly removed it. She feared that her close contact may have had a different effect on him than she had intended.

He stared at her in silence, her touch still warm on his shoulder, the deep pools of his eyes unreadable. Their close proximity was now apparent to them both; a closeness that Sora never feared until now. Loki was a man with great advantage over her in both political power and strength. And now that her opposition towards his stance was becoming clearer to him the danger of their conversation became quite evident.

She was worried that this would happen- being made Loki's enemy in the pursuit of saving Asgard- but somehow it seemed inevitable. Sora was going to have to sacrifice something; it was only a question of what. Now she knew that it was his love.

Pushing her sorrow away, Sora straightened up and met his gaze with renewed determination, "Since Thor is no longer in charge of our defense I have to know what you plan to do about Laufey's declaration of war."

"You said that diplomacy was over, I'm afraid there is nothing more you can do Sora. You must leave this to me now." He told her, dismissing her as he began to turn away. Sora knew he was avoiding her; she had to get him to talk.

"Still, I am a member of your high council Loki," She pushed, quickly stepping beside him again and forcing him to acknowledge her. Loki looked down to her out of the corner of his eye. "I must know," she said finally.

Loki, seeing the concern mounting in her eyes, placed both of his hands on her shoulders, "Be well assured that you can trust me to protect us." He then leaned in and softly kissed her forehead as he used to. The touch of his lips sent cold shivers down Sora's spine as she fought through his false placating,

"Loki-"

"Sora!" He snapped. All pretense of comfort had vanished from his countenance. "That is all on the subject."

The fire in his eyes warned her against speaking another word but she refused to be silenced by him. She had to take hold of her courage and find out what he was planning, even if it meant putting herself in danger.

"Why won't you tell me Loki? Is it because you do not have a plan of action or is it that you know I won't approve of it?" Silence filled the room for a moment as Loki thought-up an elaborate lie to tell her however Sora could see right through him. He was about to answer her but she was already a step ahead of him. "That's what it is isn't it? You already know what you're going to do you don't want to tell me."

The god let out a small sigh, seeing that Sora had figured him out. He gazed sadly into her eyes and said, "You would not understand Sora."

Sora's heart dropped at his words, she had been right all along.

"What are you going to do to Jotenhiem?" She whispered in fear.

Loki's hands slipped further up her shoulders, his hold on her becoming tighter, "I'm taking care of it once and for all."

"You mean you're going to destroy it," she said, her heart now pounding in her chest. She could not allow this to happen, years of her life were poured into the preservation of the peace of both these worlds.

"Yes," He confirmed.

"Loki, that's genocide!" She cried, gripping tightly onto his sleeves, trying to make him listen to reason.

"It must be done Sora. You cannot see it now but after it is done you will understand the necessity of it. I will keep Asgard safe in the way that Thor never could." He explained, taking her face in his hands and caressing her with his thumbs. "You'll never have to worry about the Frost Giants entering our realm again. You can leave the council knowing that there will be eternal peace for Asgard and we can finally be together without the threat of war hanging over our heads."

Sora shook her head in staunch refusal, "Loki-"

"No Sora," Loki snapped viciously, forcing her to look into his eyes. "Your answer is yes."

He then pulled her to him and claimed her lips in a fierce kiss. Sora struggled adamantly against him but Loki refused to release her from his hold. He may not have been as strong as his brother but he easily overpowered her. She whimpered against his mouth in protest, realizing she could not break free. Once Sora had stopped fighting him, Loki softened his kiss and brushed her long golden hair away from her luminescent skin; two features which served as continual reminders to him that they were not of the same race.

Sora was stiff and unresponsive as his lips moved passionately over hers. She remained quiet and still in his arms, her heart breaking inside. This was the man whom she worked alongside to try and bring peace to Asgard, the same man who was now trying to force her to stand for violence and bloodshed. Jealousy and hate had driven him from the path of good and now he was lost to the darkness inside of him.

Loki then brushed his tongue over Sora's lips and her whole body went cold and rigid. She would not allow him to further use her. He may have been a son of Odin and her king, but she would not allow him to rule her. Using all her strength, Sora pushed against his chest in one final attempt and managed to break away from him.

"Loki, stop!" She yelled, immediately backing away so she was at a safe distance from him.

Her heart weighed heavily in her chest as she brought her fingers up to her mouth, gently touching where he had bruised her. She was breathing heavily from his dominating kiss and her stomach was knotted in fear. He had never treated her in such a forceful manner and she thought him against such behavior until now.

Loki felt a pang of guilt when he saw her swollen lips. He did not mean to be so rough with her. It seemed that his anger had driven him to this. And the way she was looking at him now made him sick with anxiety. Did she really find him that repulsive now? He approached Sora once more, searching her eyes for anything that might tell him otherwise but she stepped away from him in distrust.

"Do you not love me?" He asked quietly, the sting of regret still fresh in his heart. Couldn't she see that he was only doing what was best for all of them? His sad eyes captured hers and she was confronted with his beautiful face once more. A silent tear slipped down his smooth white skin as he gazed sorrowfully into her eyes. He had never felt more alone in his world until that very moment. "I love you Sora. Even though I do not say it or dare have spoken it until now, I do love you."

Sora's lips were trembling, still burning from his kiss. What he said was no lie. It was no sorcery or trick to confuse her, to twist her mind, or to sway her opinion. He stood there, raw and ungarded as he confessed his love to her.

Sora hardly knew what to say to him. A part of her wanted to hit him, to fight him with everything she had inside of her for what he was doing. The other part of her knew he was still the man she loved and she wanted to have him hold her in his arms like he used to.

It was true, Sora did love Loki; the god of mischief, Odin's quiet and dark son. Even now, after all that he had done and still threatened to do, she loved him. But she would not allow that to blind her.

"Yes, I do love you," she confessed, blinking back the tears that threatened to fall from her clear blue eyes. "But I will not follow you."

**_IMPORTANT for ALL readers!_** I want to ask you guys if you would like this story to be raised to an M rating (meaning the story will match that of an M rating... it's not just for the hell of it). Also I wanted to thank everyone who reviewed, they really help inspire me.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: I do not own Thor but as long as they give me my FF to write I'm good.**

**Chapter 4**

Sora's heart was pounding heavily in her chest; thrumming against her rib cage as if it were trying to break out. She quietly wiped a tear from her eye as she quickly exited the throne room. She didn't dare look back for fear that Loki had followed her in his anger. It was all she could do to get to the healing room where Sif and the Warriors Three were waiting for news from her. She hurried swiftly down the great hall, her blue and grey robes flowing behind her like beautiful silk and gossamer banners in the wind.

Her footsteps sounded desperately against the stone floor as she sped past palace guards, pushed through courtiers, and cut around corners. She was absolutely fixated on getting to where she needed to be. There was no time to lament and no time to contemplate the sorrow of Loki's treachery. The others had to know of his plans immediately so they could figure out their own plan of action.

As she fought through the maze of halls and rooms the words of warning from the warriors ran through her mind over and over again.

"_It is useless! Loki has his throne and there is no convincing him of anything anymore." Fandral groaned, throwing himself down on the couch beside Sif._

_All of the warriors seemed determined that they were going to have to go to war against Loki and pull him off of the throne. But Sora, being well practiced in the ways of negotiation, thought otherwise. There was no need for such rash decisions especially if they were acts of violence against their friend._

_Sora stood at the end of the banquet table, her arms crossed thoughtfully over her chest as she contemplated what to do. Her fingers rubbed lightly at the small silk corselet around her slender waist. She refused to believe that fighting Loki was the only way to solve this. _

"_Perhaps a politicians' touch would be better." She suggested, walking into the center of the warriors' gathering. "Loki is not like Thor, he will listen to reason. I suggest you let me talk to him before you do anything."_

"_We have already tried that remember? You think your fancy words will have any sway over him now that he has the crown?" Volstagg snorted, taking a huge bite out of a turkey leg he was holding. He chomped on it meanly for a moment before he added, "He will lie to you."_

"_Even so, is it better that I do nothing?" Sora asked, looking down at him. She was slightly annoyed by his doubts in her abilities. "I have not talked to him since the events of today. We are running out of time."_

"_I agree with Sora," Sif spoke, pushing herself up out of her seat and standing by the politician. "We should give her a chance. If it does no good then we can step in. It will not hurt us to delay another hour or so."_

_Sora nodded to her ally, "We cannot give up on diplomacy so easily. I believe I can help Loki, it's not too late."_

The Warriors Three had begrudgingly let her go, not fully trusting their fate to a politician. Still, Sora was a warrior if only one of a different kind and being on the same side as them helped bolster their confidence in her. She was their last chance at making a peaceful resolution with Loki.

Sora came to the doors of the healing room and threw them open without hesitation. There was no point in dwelling upon having to give her friends bad news. Everyone in the healing room looked to where the council member entered. When they saw the grave expression on her face they knew what she was about to tell them.

"I have failed you," she said, her clear blue eyes scanning the crestfallen faces before her. "Loki has no intentions of bringing Thor home and what is worse, he plans on destroying Jotenhiem. I do not think I could have devised worse intentions for him to have myself."

"Destroy Jotenhiem?" Sif asked, standing up from her seat in shock. "How?"

"I do not know. But I am certain he already has the means to do it." She said. Sora closed the doors behind her so that no one outside could hear them and then made her way into the room to join them around the fire. What she did not tell the warriors was that her own fate now hung in the balance as a result of her defiance against Loki. "All I know is this is what Loki wants and he cannot be swayed."

Sif nodded, "Then it is up to us to stop him now."

There was a hint of sadness in the warrior's eyes for Sora. She knew of her attachment to Loki, even though her feelings for him had gone unspoken. Thor had pointed out to Sif the slight touches and lingering glances between the two that had gone unnoticed by everyone else. He knew his quiet brother better than anyone and he was able to discern the growing bond between Loki and Sora. It was a quiet relationship that grew silently beneath anyone's notice; their bond looked like a cordial friendship to an untrained eye. But Sif knew that it was something so much deeper than that.

No one would ever understand what Sora was truly giving up when she fought against Loki. She was severing a bond that was sacred. Loki had become a part of her life and her soul. Sif knew that Sora, being as determined as she was, would try to push Loki away from her heart and cut her feelings out of the equation in order to do what was necessary. From the moment Thor had told her of Sora and Loki's bond she felt that it could only end in tragedy. She had proven to be right, much to her regret.

"I am sorry I could not help." Sora said, walking slowly around the fire. Her delicate robes dragged dangerously close to the flames but she did not care to pull them away. Even though she hid it well, her sorrow was weighing heavily on her and she was beginning to realize what the culmination of these recent events would mean for her life.

She would be faced with war once again and Loki would not be at her side to face it with her. Her fight for peace and unity in the council room would be waged alone. One by one those who would stand by her cause would abandon her and her voice would be extinguished like the last ember in the ashes.

The long road ahead stretched out before her and all she could see was the unhappiness that she would soon face. She knew she had to be strong for this- she had to do it for Asgard, for the love of the people she defended. She would stand against Loki and all his legions if it meant to protection of her world and those beyond it. Sora had to believe that there was a brighter dawn on the horizon; that they would make it through this. That is what she fought for now. Loki was lost, but Asgard and Jotenhiem were not.

AN: IMPORTANT for ALL readers: I have gotten your requests from the last chapter and all of you seem to be okay with an M rating so I am raising it to be such (because I feel Loki and Sora deserve it). Also some of you have expressed interest in Sora and Loki's background story and not to worry because I shall be elaborating on it throughout the chapters (like the next one I'm posting so stay tuned). Thank you to all who reviewed! You are amazing and excellent with giving feedback.


	5. Chapter 5

AN: Don't own Thor, do own Sora.

**Chapter 5**

As Sora gazed into the fire, a memory floated to the surface of her thoughts. She then realized that she had first met Loki in this room. Sora had been injured by a Frost Giant during peace negotiations with Jotenhiem and had to go to the healing room where Loki would later come upon her.

Many years ago Sora led a committee for a new treaty agreement between Asgard and Jotenhiem. She directed the making of it herself with Odin as the overseer. It had been six years into negotiations with Jotenhiem and finally Odin and Laufey agreed to a meeting to discuss its ratification.

During the meeting however, an assassination attempt by one of Laufey's consuls was made on Sora's life. It was later to be discovered that Laufey had no hand in the plotting of the attempt. The shock and fury he displayed as a result of the event said as much. Further investigation would later prove that the consul had worked alone, believing Luafey's consideration of signing the treaty to be a betrayal of his people. However, the fate of both Sora's life and the new treaty hung in the balance because of the actions of that one lone assassin.

_Loki was restless after the stirring events of the day and felt that he had to take a walk. He knew all the remote passages in the palace where he could travel and not be seen or bothered by other people passing through. He needed to think. The business with Laufey and the assassination attempt had deeply troubled his thoughts. It bothered him how easily this had happened and he wondered who exactly was behind it all. Laufey seemed to be genuine in his claims of having nothing to do with the plot but Loki was a master at deception and knew all too well the power of a good lie. _

_Ever since he had gotten word of this meeting, Loki knew something was going to go wrong, heavens forbid that anything turn out as planned. Then the maiden -the council member- was stabbed right in the middle of negotiations. Loki was not a fan of such mischief as this, especially since it was his enemy that was making it. He was convinced that he could figure all this out if he had a moment to think._

_He found himself at the north end of the palace, having led himself in front of the healing rooms. Loki was so concentrated on his own thoughts that he hadn't realized where he was going. There stood the golden doors and Loki smirked at the irony of it all. Curious as to what might be going on behind those doors, Loki decided it couldn't hurt to take a look. Perhaps he could get some of the answers he was looking for._

_He walked through the double doors of the healing room and found a young woman lying on one of the plush couches by the fire, pressing a red, bloodstained cloth to her wounded side._ _Her long golden hair and soft face was illuminated by the firelight, the sensual flames licked up from the round fire pit beside her. Loki recognized her as Sora, the youngest member on the council, very smart and very wise, yet extremely unconventional and more often than not, controversial in her pacifistic views. She was the rare type of politician that believed in the virtues of peace and the strength in uprightness._

"_You're in here alone?" Loki asked, surprised to see that no one was attending the injured council member. An assassination attempt had just been made on her life and yet she was left to take care of herself. He could hardly believe this as he immediately went over to the bell to call someone in but Sora stopped him. _

"_Please don't, I am fine," she protested, all the while trying to keep her mind off of the pain of her wound. The last thing she wanted was for this incident to be blown out of proportion. If it was, there might be a chance that Odin would end negotiations with Laufey. It was a miracle that she could even get them to talk to one another much less sign a peace agreement. She would not be responsible for the downfall of her own peace movement. _

_It took her a moment to realize that the man she was talking to was Loki, Odin's son. He was half in shadow from the firelight and it was hard to see him from her reclined position on the couch. Once he stepped forward into the room she recognized his face immediately and her breath caught in her throat. _

"_My Lady-" he began before she interrupted him again. His voice was calm but his eyes expressed trepidation and concern. Loki could sense that the woman before him was not faring well. He could also sense that she was trying to hide it._

"_I am sorry to be so obstinate My Lord, but there are more important matters than myself that need to be attended to. We finally have a chance of making peace with Jotenhiem and I will not allow this incident to stop negotiations."_

_Loki slowly removed his hand from the bell ringer and began to approach her instead, now curious about this strong-willed woman before him. He too understood that years of work could be undone by one simple mishap. Although her life had been threatened negotiations had to resume. Yet there were those who would have it not be so, his brother Thor being one of them. But Loki understood the importance of peace between the two realms even if he was not fond of the idea. It was wise of his father to take her advice into consideration. _

_Loki reached Sora's side by the fire. "As much as I admire your enthusiasm no peace agreement will be reached if you die." He pointed out, sitting beside her on the large couch. Sora found his closeness to be somewhat intimate for a prince of Asgard but Loki didn't seem to notice. Instead he was much more focused on examining the gash in her side._

_His cautious gaze strayed to her wound and then back to her eyes, quietly checking in with her to see if she was okay with him touching it. There was a spark of unease in her eyes but she did not protest when he slowly pulled her hand away from the injury and removed the cloth covering it to have a look. The stab wound in her side seemed to be only half healed and was in desperate needed of new dressings. _

"_You're lucky I looked at this," He told her. She spotted a hint of concern lit behind his stoic green eyes as he discarded her old bandage into the fire. The flames leaped up from the hearth devouring to cloth as Loki picked up another scarlet bandage to replace it. "A wound like this needs constant attention. You could have bled out." _

_He folded the new cloth and dipped it into the basin of healing waters next to him. Instead of placing it on her side Loki wrung-out the water over the half-healed gash. Sora cringed in pain at the waters searing touch, a hiss escaping her lips. _

"_Sorry," He apologized. A faint smile graced Loki's lips as he dipped the cloth into the water again and put it over her wound. "I forgot to warn you about the sting."_

_Looking up at the vaulted ceiling, Sora couldn't help but smile as well; at what, she didn't quite know. Still, it was better than despairing over the misfortunes of the council meeting. Sora was sure she was going to have to fight for her treaty harder than ever now. There was going to have to be an investigation, extra precautions and higher security were going to be needed. _

"_I knew this was going to be a mess." She sighed, referring to the earlier events of the day. _

_Loki cracked a smile as he gently pressed the cloth to her side and then dipped it into the basin once more, "Well you brought my father, my brother, and Laufey together in one room. What part of that didn't seem like a recipe for disaster?" He asked replacing the soaked cloth. Her wound was now nearly healed._

"_Oddly enough everything was going just fine up until the point where I got stabbed." She said, their eyes catching one another's. The tension between them slowly diffused as they shared a laugh. _

_Sora hadn't expected such gentleness from Loki, God of Mischief. She knew him to be one to play tricks and find humor in others misfortunes. However this was not the Loki she had been warned about by the members of the council, this was someone entirely different and unexpected. There seemed to be some distant sadness in his green eyes that she could not place and a slight wryness in his smile. He was quiet yet displayed a natural confidence that she would never know. He was so many contradictory things that made his true nature a mystery to her._

"_This hurts like hell." She confessed, trying her best not to wince as he eased the loose pieces of her ripped gown away from her wound._

_Loki briefly glanced up at her and then back down to his work, "You hide it very well."_

"_I'm a politician," She grinned, looking up at the intricate ceiling, "I'm supposed to hide how I feel."_

"_Yes. But you're also a pacifist, which makes you incapable of it. You're a paradox." He informed her with a level of intrigue in his tone. Loki turned this idea over in his head, liking the sounds of it all the more. He decided that it was the perfect way to describe this pretty politician._

"_Is that a good thing?" She asked in return, finding neither fault nor compliment in his assessment of her._

_Sora saw a glimmer of mischief in the god's eyes as he stared into the fire. He thought about her question for a moment before he answered._

"_It's not a bad thing." He replied simply, knowing that she would not be satisfied with that._

_Sora tiredly accepted that this was as good of a reply as she was going to receive from him at the moment and would have to inquire about it later. She gazed into the fire for a moment. The soft light caught in her blue eyes and made them appear to Loki as if they were glowing. So many thoughts and underlying emotions were passing behind her calm countenance but Loki could not discern what they were. She was a paradox to him and in turn a mystery. A part of him wondered if they would cross paths like this again and another part knew that he'd seek her out himself, unable to resist. _

"_Thank you My Lord," She said sincerely as she placed her hand over the new bandage. The tips of their fingers brushed briefly and Loki grinned at the coincidence. His eyes flicked up to hers, his mischievous smile still playing on his lips. _

"_Call me Loki," He told her, holding out his hand, the maiden took it._

"_I am Sora," She introduced herself. _

_His smirk grew wider he glanced down at her, "I know."_

Sora tore her gaze away from the fire, pulling herself out of the memory. Her eyes scanned the warriors, seeing the tense anticipation in each one of them.

"I have told you everything that I know and must leave you now." She said, circling up to the large double doors. "Loki might have sent someone to follow me and I cannot be seen with you. It is not safe for me to meet you anymore."

"We understand My Lady." Sif bowed her head respectfully to her then, the others quickly following her lead.

Sora bowed back, "I wish you luck. Know that even though I cannot be with you now, you do not fight this battle alone. The council has yet to meet and I have not given up yet."

With that, Sora left the room with haste. There was much to be done before nightfall. She had to find the Leader of the Council Merin. Surely he would have an idea for the council's plan of action.

AN: Hey so here's a small bit on Sora and Loki's past, there's much more of it to come. Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Please do so again and let me know what you think, every review helps.


	6. Chapter 6

AN: I do not own Thor. Sora is mine though.

**Chapter 6**

Sora took the back passages through the palace when traveling to Merin's rooms, avoiding any guards along the way. She was not yet aware if Loki told them to be on the lookout for her or not and she did not want to risk a run-in with them just in case. Also she felt that it would not bear well for Merin if she was caught talking to him.

She finally arrived in front of a large relief carved on one of the stone walls of a flourishing pear tree bearing fruit which marked a secret passage that led into the study of Merin's apartment. She reached out with her index finger and traced the outline of one of the fruits on the tree. The relief glowed like an aura of gold for a brief moment and then the wall gave way, turning into a door. The hinges swung open revealing a richly furnished study room lined wall to wall with bookshelves.

Stepping into Merin's apartment, the secret door sealed shut behind her, preventing any unwanted visitors from entering. The hearing the magical locks set back into place gave Sora some comfort already. Being in the corridors was dangerous, even though they were the ones less traveled. Sora saw no one in the room and headed for the door to his main sitting room.

"Merin?" she called quietly into the space before entering. There was no answer and the room looked empty and untouched. Suddenly she feared that he might not be in or even worse, that Loki had put him under arrest. "Merin?" she called again, yet she was still left without an answer.

Quietly she stepped over the threshold of the study and into the large living space. Just then the door on the opposite wall opened and Merin stepped out, his gaze soon coming to meet hers.

"Sora!" Cried the old man, "My goodness girl, you gave me a fright."

"Thank heavens you are in here my friend," She sighed in relief, quickly walking across the room to meet him. She then wrapped the older council member in a tight hug. It felt overwhelmingly nice to be in the company of a friend again, considering the heaviness of the current circumstances. Pulling away she saw anxiety behind his tired grey eyes. He must have heard about what had happened between Loki and her in the throne room earlier. Such bad news travels fast.

"We must convene a council meeting immediately, there are dire issues that need to be discussed. Loki is planning on destroying Jotenhiem and we must stop him." She informed him quickly, determination set in her brow. "I am prepared to lead the council in a move to overrule him but I need your support. Will you give it?"

The old man's solemn gaze turned to the floor and he led Sora to sit on his couch as he made his way to his chair.

"This is distressful news indeed, but I fear I can do nothing on your behalf Sora. Loki has requested that you permanently be barred from the council." Merin told her. Sora saw the concern mounting in his eyes and she then began to understand how dangerous it was to even come to him. "I can try to make a motion myself but then again my word is only that of an old man's with secondhand information. Loki will not let you have the opportunity to face the council yourself."

"I should have expected as much," She said, kicking herself for not having guessed that Loki would immediately cut her off from any communications with the council. He had made a mistake of informing her what he was going to do to Jotenhiem and now he was quickly rectifying it by riding her from the political arena. There would be no fight against his decisions. "What else did he say Merin?" She asked, standing up and walking towards the window, knowing that there had to be more. Merin ran a nervous hand through his white hair and leaned forward in his chair to look at her.

"He said to tell him if I saw you and then to immediately report your whereabouts to him," he said, his expression now grave. Sora knew that she was now being hunted down and if or when she was she'd be subdued. A while ago she couldn't imagine Loki forcing her to anything but now she believed he was willing and capable of most anything. She quietly touched the white gossamer curtains which floated against her hand in the breeze as she thought about her current position.

Merin must have read the distress on Sora's face because he quickly added, "I'm of course not going to say anything to him. We need to buy you time so you may get out of here."

Sora nodded, peering back at him with a wry smile, "Thank you my friend, I'm going to leave here as soon as possible. Was that all he said to you then?"

"Yes," he confirmed, easing her away from the window so that no one could spy her looking out it from below. "You know as well as I that he is trying to back you into a corner."

"I know, luckily we can spot this now though," she said, trying to pick out the advantages in this dark situation. It quickly became clear to her that she was going to have to go into exile to escape Loki's grasp. His chokehold on her was ever tightening and she would find much more freedom and room to maneuver if she operated from outside the palace.

"Why did you say anything to him before?" Asked Merin; slightly lamenting her actions.

"Because I believed I could help him." She said, walking further away from the chilled breeze from the window. "At least now we know what he is planning."

Merin watched her with sad eyes, "Oh Sora, I just feel sorry for you. These are dark times and it is a shame you must live to see them."

Sora shook her head in reassurance, her parents had lived through the wars with the Frost Giants and she could live through this. "Do not worry about me we are all in this together Merin."

"Still you must leave the palace. Do you have any place you can go?" He asked.

Sora nodded, the images of her private summer house in the mountains coming to mind. She had spent much time there when she was a child, her parents owned the house and it was only a short hike from the Naridian Falls.

"Yes, I know a place." She confirmed.

Folding his hands into the sleeves of his robe, Merin nodded, "Good, do not tell me where it is, just go there and lay low."

Sora would indeed try to make it to the summer house but she would not lay low while she was there. "Merin, you must know that I'll not stand by idle while everything unfolds. I will help you from the outside. I do not know how yet but I'll manage."

Merin nodded, "How will you get out of the palace?"

"I'll manage." There were ways out of the palace that the guards would not think of. However they were never traveled and highly unsafe. Sora hugged Merin once more and then began to make her way back to the secret door. "Goodbye my friend, you'll hear from me soon."

She knew that once she was beyond the safety of Merin's apartment she would have to run.

AN: Will Sora escape? Stay in tune to find out! PLEASE REVIEW, I really want to know what you all think also it helps me write fasterknowing people are interested!


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Don't own Thor, do own Sora. **

**Chapter 7**

Night had already fallen on Asgard, making cover for Sora to slip through the shadows unnoticed. The cool wind gently pulled at her hair and clothes from the open archways of the palace, beckoning her to the far off mountains that could barely be seen in the distant night. They were a mere silhouette against the midnight blue sky. The threat of being discovered by the guards hung over her like a veil that blocked out the diamond starlight from the skies that lit her way around the dark open-air halls. It quickened her pace, made her focus sharp and her senses keen. She knew she had to strike true to her purpose or else all hopes of her helping Merin and the others were lost.

Sora heard footsteps behind her accompanied by drunken laughter. The voice that was laughing was light like a bell, suggesting it belong to a woman of the court, yet Sora ducked behind a pillar all the same. She eased into the darkness, pressing herself flush against the stone and angling her body so it would not cast its shadow across the floor from the moonlight. Directing her alert gaze towards the voices she spied two lovers stumbling down the hall. They were drunk and gay from the feast in the dining hall, surely trying to find their way back to one of their apartments.

The sight was uncouth to Sora but not too uncommon after a night of food, drink, and merrymaking in the palace. Still the proud council member never partook in such behavior. She had an image and a reputation she liked to maintain. Being caught in scandalous, not to mention drunken, interludes was not the example she wanted to set for her people. This was one of the reasons, or at least that's what she told herself, why Loki and Sora never made their affections towards each other public.

Watching the couple paw at each other and mosey down the way, Sora was going to wait until they slipped by but suddenly a group of guards stopped them demanding to know their identities. Of course they were mostly interested in the woman's, believing that she might be Sora, yet when they heard the woman's name and saw her face they moved on telling the couple to hurry back to their apartments. Vexed and a bit nervous, the couple then veered down a different corridor, their excitement somewhat lessened from before. The guards however began to march Sora's way. Her heartbeat quickened in her chest and she held her breath as the soldiers passed by, the noise of their armor knocking together as they marched made her chest heavy. Knowing that they would not turn around in their pursuit, Sora quietly followed in the darkness behind them. She knew she could not waste anymore time in escaping.

At the end of the hall, the guards turned down a corridor in which Sora stealthily went the opposite way. The silver light from the moon kissed her face from the open arches once more and she hurried down the hall, her silken robes trailing behind her. She soon came to the lowest balcony built in the palace. A little garden was conveniently built six stories below it. If she could manage to get down, she could exit the garden and make for her freedom through the city.

The walls of the castle were steep but bowed out in just a way that would allow her to slide down them relatively unharmed. She had thought of trying to escape through the pipes and waterways, but the currents were strong and it was far too risky. This was her only viable option. Tying her robes out of the way of her legs, Sora climbed over the balcony railing. The wind seemed to pick up as she stared over the edge at the long and steep drop and into the dark garden below. Sora's heart was pounding in her chest and her breath seemed to be caught in her throat. She could hardly believe that she was considering doing this. Sora never had to run like a criminal before nor did she ever think that she would have to. But now, with exile as her only option, she felt as if she were willing to do most anything to escape Loki. The people of both Asgard and Jotunhiem needed her to be an active player in the game. Without her, there would be no political voice in the government to speak against Loki. Sora knew this venture could very well fail, yet she knew she had to try.

Carefully kneeling down, she sat on the wall's edge and hung from her grip on the banister above. She shut her eyes tightly for a moment, sucking in a deep breath. There was a silence before the plunge then she opened her eyes again and let go of the banister, an image of Loki flashed in her mind and then a gut-wrenching falling sensation overtook her as she fell through the air. Her back was inches away from the wall and there was nothing to grab onto but air. Sora was then panicking realizing that she very well could have made the wrong decision. Then, like the grace of the heavens, she finally came to gentle curve of the wall and it caught her, guiding her down to the ground below. She then began to roll down the side of the wall as the arch became greater. It was as if she were tumbling down a hill. This was rough on her body but it was better than feeling only air and wind against her back. Soon she found herself rolling down into tall grass, the blades whipping at her harms and legs. She had made it to the garden alive yet she was still tumbling across the ground from her fall. Her momentum was stopped by a large hedge edging the stone path.

She coughed out for air, the stiff branches cutting into her back. Turning her gaze up to the balcony six stories above her, she stared at it amazedly, grateful that she had survived her decision to jump. She had escaped the palace without notice, making it this far. Not wishing to stay in one place for too long, Sora eased herself up on her feet and waited for her head to stop spinning. The rush she had received from her jump made her head light and her body loose.

Once she gathered her senses, Sora continued her journey through the city with great swiftness. She would not stop at all that night, determined to make it to the mountains by daylight. From there she would travel beyond the Naridian Falls to her secluded summer home. Only when she was there would she feel safe to rest.

Loki looked out at the darkened city, knowing that Sora was somewhere amongst the glittering lights that shone through windows and lined the streets. If she were in the palace the guards would have found her by then. Sora had abandoned him. There was a lingering pain inside of him as he thought about her running away. The deed was hers yet the fault was his. Still, for some reason he felt that she had betrayed him. The confusion of his heart frustrated him to no end and he wished that he could push his feelings aside and do what needed to be done as she obviously seemed able to do.

It angered him that it was so easy for her to leave him behind. Loki was never good at separating his emotions from his actions even though he liked to think that he could, things were personal to him.

His eyes scanned the darkness below him, knowing that he would not find her yet still feeling that he should at the very least try. Her place was not out there fighting against him, it was beside him. Still he knew he was the one who drove her out and in his heart he knew she was not coming back- not of her own will at least. It was not Sora's way.

He wondered if she merely rebelled against him by leaving or if she truly feared him. He was unsure which idea hurt him the most. Regardless, he would somehow divine her whereabouts- he was determined to do so.

AN: Thank you all so much for reading. Next chapter there will be more about Loki and Sora's past history together as was requested :). PLEASE REVIEW! Thanks!


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

After escaping the palace, Sora traveled on long into the night not stopping to rest until she entered the road that led into the mountains. She relocated herself at least fifteen feet away from the trail and lay down in the tall grass amongst the trees so that no one would happen upon her. Sleep came to her quickly but it was restless and filled with troubling dreams- most of which were a haze but one she remembered quite vividly. It was of Loki slowly driving a dagger into her chest, watching callously as her life's blood drained from her. She could not awaken to escape his cold green-eyed stare; she could only watch Loki as she sank to the ground.

The moment her body felt a hint of sunlight from the breaking dawn she woke up. Her instincts were telling her to keep running. Sora knew she would get no more sleep that morning and she didn't want to, not when Loki plagued her every dream. Hopefully a peaceful rest would come later, but for the moment she had to keep moving. Sora only hoped that there would not be a reoccurrence of these nightmares. Her body needed peace as well as her mind.

She reached the Naridian Falls by high noon. Their majesty and elegance was punctuated by the bright day. Clear blue skies reflected off the flowing water of the river below. Stray droplets from the falls splashed onto the black stones lining the river. They glinted like crystals in the sunlight before they soaked into the narrow path that Sora traveled. The white mist that hung low in the air at the base of the falls veiled Sora as she moved quietly through it, careful not to slip on the wet and mossy ground beneath her feet.

Continuing on the trail past the falls Sora found her summer home secretly nestled in a mossy grove surrounded by tall trees. Her heart swelled up when she saw it- old memories of her childhood spent there came flooding back to her. It was where she spent the last summer she had with her mother before she got sick. It was where she learned to climb trees and laid in the moss by the falls reading about the worlds beyond Asgard and hoping that she may see them one day. Also she explored the glories of nature and carefully studied creatures rarely seen by any Asgardian. This house was her escape as a child and now it was to be her refuge.

Loki could send his guards all across the kingdom, but he did not know of this place. She had kept it a secret even from him. After her mother had died, her father stopped taking her to the summer cottage anymore and the memory of its existence faded for everyone but Sora who cherished the place so much. She would secretly visit it when she felt the need or inclination and told no one where she was going for fear her father might reprimand her. But still she kept her visits a regular once a year trip during her vacations and no one asked questions. It was nice to have an escape from everything as well as have a secret when the rest of her life had to be open for the people to observe.

However her summer home was not the only secret Sora kept. Loki was the deepest secret of her heart as she was his. They told no one for fear of rejection or scorn. She was a politician and he was a prince of Asgard- the relationship would not be looked upon favorably by Odin or the people of Asgard. It would look like she was trying to influence him politically or vice versa and one could not have that. So they covered up their secret love affair from the world and created another private reality where they could be together.

Sora felt the warmth of the golden sunlight streaming down from the trees onto her face and remembered how Loki's voice and touch could be just as soothing. He had always been the one she could confide in, even from the beginning.

Ever since the night of their first meeting in the healing chambers Loki kept coming back into Sora's life. Days after the assassination attempt on her life a new debate had been brewing on whether or not the council should kill the peace treaty. Those in favor of tearing it down were winning and had strong support from the people who cared only for maintaining the Asgardian tradition of war. Loki and Sora's second meeting was in the midst of these political battles where Sora found her side failing fast with the threat of never recovering.

_Sora briskly made her way down the Main Hall trying to get as far away from the council room as possible. She could not stand the frustration and anger welling up inside of her any longer and she had to escape before the other council members witnessed her boil over in a rage. Sora knew she had to find a place to be alone to let out her fury._

_This last meeting had not gone in her favor and more and more members were abandoning her and her plans for peace. Nearly half of the council at this point wanted to stop the negotiations with Laufey and it didn't help that that pigheaded son of Asgard, Thor, was pushing for the treaties extinction. He knew nothing of the collective good for Asgard and Jotunhiem, nor did he care. All he wanted was his silly war so he could continue proving himself as a warrior. Defender of Asgard… he was a far cry from it. More like a reckless boy with a sword in hand. _

_Grabbing up her silken robes Sora carried herself faster. Turning down a darkened corridor, Sora pushed through the first door she could find. She found herself in one of the many guest rooms in the palace, this one being thankfully unoccupied at the moment. In fact the heavy layer of dust and cobwebs on the sheet covered furniture was a good indicator that it hadn't been used for some time. _

"_Damn it!" She hissed under her breath as she sharply slammed the door to the hall closed behind her. It hit the frame with a loud crack. "Damn it! Damn it… Damn it!" _

_Sora ran her fingers through her soft hair, stopping when she felt them touch the silver circlet around her head. The small band was a symbol of the council and it reminded her of her duties to the establishment she had sworn her life to. She still had anger inside of her but she needed to channel it to useful thought, not simple steam letting._

_Shaking her head, Sora attempted to calm herself in order to think things through. Stepping further into the room, she came to the foot of the canopy bed. She tapped her fingers atop the carved wooden footboard and turned back towards the door she came in. Her eyes then came upon Loki's half shadowed form leaning beside the doorframe._

_Her heart stopped, her hand snapping up to her chest, startled at the sight of him. Her immediate thought was, how long had he been standing there? Sora's voice caught in her throat as she fumbled for something to say and all that came out of her mouth was, "Sorry, I…"_

"_Didn't know anyone would be in here?" He finished for her, stepping further into the light. Loki cocked his head slightly, observing the flustered council member. She seemed almost on the verge of a shouting match with herself. She didn't say a word as she watched him, not know what she should say, if anything._

"_Do you want to talk about it?" Loki asked, a weak smile gracing his lips. He felt sorry for the woman. His brother was being extremely hard on her in the council room today. However, Loki personally found her peace proposal to be an avenue worthwhile of further exploration. Asgard needed peace and she was providing a way for that to happen. She had his support in the council room yet not his brothers which made it extremely hard for her to gain more support for her side. Sora had some very interesting ideas but they were too radically different for his brother and the other council members. _

"_How did you know I was in here?" She asked, sounding somewhat defensive, gathering herself after the scare he gave her. Loki couldn't help but grin to himself at her insecurities._

"_I didn't, I just heard the slamming door and was curious to find out what it was or rather who was making it." He told her._

_Sora bit her lip in embarrassment as she drew her eyes down to the floor. She could feel that Loki was not there to embarrass her but she was still embarrassed all the same. Loki drew closer to her and she felt very aware of his presence. Her gaze came back up to meet his eyes and instead of finding ridicule in them, she found sympathy. Once again the god of mischief had surprised her. Before speaking she searched his eyes intently for any sign of disingenuousness. She found that his green hues held none. _

"_From what you and the council members have seen of me you know that my temper seldom rises; my passion maybe, but never my anger," She explained, straightening out the folds of her dress and stepping away from the bed. "The truth be told, when it does rise it's like an erupting volcano. I really hoped that I would be alone as to not have to show it to anyone but it would seem that you have found me out." _

"_Yes," Loki nodded, a small smile curling at the corner of his lips. "But it's common knowledge to me that it's always the stoic ones whose anger you must watch out for."_

_Sora cracked a wry grin at the sly gods words; how true they were. Luckily she had caught him standing in the corner just in time to avoid having him see the full measure of her wrath. That would have truly been embarrassing._

"_Thank you for your understanding my lord; ever since the assassination attempt the council has been quite difficult to work with."_

_Loki nodded as he went over to one of the covered chairs and removed the sheet draped over it, letting the fabric fall to the ground beside it. "I have noticed the change in favor as of late." He commented, removing the sheet off of another chair across from it. He motioned for her to sit down then. She bowed before sitting and he politely took his seat after she did._

"_There are those in Asgard who would benefit from a war." She began, hoping that maybe this son of Asgard would listen to her. "People do unspeakable things in order to gain power or to turn a profit. I am trying to prevent this from happening but no one wants to see a future beyond the warring legacy of Asgard. _

"_This one isolated incident with the assassin has given way to countless protests aimed at destroying this peace treaty. Some council members are arguing that it is an act of war against Asgard. It doesn't help that Thor is a supporter in this idea either. I fear that if certain council members keep appealing to people's selfish personal gains and foolish pride they will win."_

"_It seems that way doesn't it?" He said, slowly rubbing his palms together as he became lost in thought. He had previously seen all of this in the council room. He certainly wasn't pleased by seeing his brother siding against the peace treaty. He had warned Thor of the dangers of killing this treaty asking him to stand by it for the good of Asgard, but his brother would hear none of it. Looking at the politician across from him he understood that they could no longer hope to win off of the popularity of their status or the status of their supporters; Thor's opposition to their side destroyed all hope of that strategy. He knew that they would have to convince the council to vote their way the old fashioned way._

"_Council members like Gration and Minais are very skilled at using scare tactics and cheap tricks to bring their audience over to their side but you shouldn't underestimate yourself Sora, you are quite the orator."_

"_Thank you," She said, "But-"_

_Loki shook his head, his hands raised, stopping her from going any further, "I'm not trying to compliment you, I'm being serious. If you stick firmly to your belief in this treaty and fight for it then you will win the vote. Nothing moves a crowd like passion. You just have to remind them why they need this peace agreement."_

_Sora nodded firmly, her eyes never leaving his as she stood from her seat. "You are right," she said, the confidence he head hear in her voice so many times before in the council room returning to her. "Asgard needs this peace treaty."_

_Loki stood after her, a fire lit in his green eyes, "Yes it does." He walked over to the door then and made to leave. "You have five more minutes until the meeting reconvenes- and might I suggest that you bring some of that fiery temper of yours with you?" He said with a sly grin before exiting the room._

_Sora stared after him, her heart beating wildly. She knew that this was her last chance to save this peace agreement and Loki's alliance gave her a newfound strength. Not all was lost yet. _

Sora made her way down the dirt path to the summer house. She went slowly, admiring the wood and the blue sky that peeked through the trees above her head. Sora had won the debate that day when Loki found her in the guest room. Although many problems would follow after she proved to be the victor of that battle. The opposition's attacks on her stance were ferocious but Sora had the heart of a lion. She could not have done it without Loki's support- she never forgot that.

Pushing open the carved front door, Sora stepped inside the dark house. Light from the open door and the cracks in the curtains spilled into the room giving her a small amount of light. She stepped across the tile floor to the windows and drew open the drapes one at a time; the dust falling from them as she did. It had been almost a full year since she visited the little summer home but it was still as she left it. This was a huge relief considering privacy was of the upmost importance. This place was home now and it would be for a while.

AN: Hey guys! I worked super hard on this chapter, sorry it's been a while but it's a lot longer than the others. Anyways hope you like it and please send me a review!


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9:**

Sora pulled open the last curtain at the bay window at the back of the house. Letting in the light, she stared out the glass at the pale evening sky. Only a sliver of the sun hung on the tree-lined horizon, quickly disappearing behind the mountain. As the darkness came Sora wished that the hours would grow shorter so that she may slip off to bed and forget about her troubles. Yet she felt that even if this were so, thoughts of Loki would plague her mind for the remainder of her exile.

It was a difficult thing leaving her life in Asgard behind and she was beginning to feel the weight of her decision pressing down on her as the night overtook her secluded home. She had not realized until that moment how truly alone she was. It wasn't just the place, or the infinite woods stretching out around her. It was the growing absence of her hope to ever be able to return and the swelling fear that she may not be able to save Asgard.

Running her weary fingers through her hair, Sora pulled away from the window and took a deep breath to calm herself. A tear came to her eye but she blinked it away, not wanting to let her emotions get the better of her. There was no point in despairing, especially this early in the game. Walking to the kitchen, she escaped out the back door and headed into the woods to find the river.

The grass bent softly from her footfalls and brushed against her ankles as she headed forwards through the tree line. Dew hung on the foliage and dripped off of the branches of the stately trees. A large droplet would fall onto her head or onto one of shoulders every now and then, slowly dampening her hair and clothes. Sora did not mind this nor did she mind the mud and bits of leaves gathering on her shoes, she liked becoming better acquainted with the woods. It was soothing and put her mind on other things and better times. Yet she couldn't help but dig up old memories of Loki. Knowing that they would only harm her in the long run, she pushed them out of her mind. Thinking of him would only be painful since she was resolved to fight him.

The very woods she was walking in were thousands of years old. The trees grew slowly with the age and never died as a result of the troubles of the outside world. This place held much magic and history. And although it was old, it still looked perfectly untouched. These woods were ancient and wise, faithful and comforting; Sora knew she shouldn't be thinking of Loki in this place, but she could not help it.

Spotting a large tree with a forked trunk close to the path, she set about climbing it. Finding a limb to rest on, she stretched out her legs and closed her eyes. She knew the river was just up ahead. The water could be heard flowing through the woods. However, the tree seemed far more inviting at the moment. Cradled in the branches with the last bit of the day's sunlight warming patches of her skin, she knew she had made the right decision. In a matter of minutes she unknowingly drifted off to sleep, too exhausted from stress and anxiety to keep awake.

"_You're all going to Jotenhiem? To do what- fight?" Sora asked, hardly believing what she was hearing from Loki. It had been less than six hours ago since the attack in the relics vault and Thor had already planned a retaliation against the Frost Giants._

"_We need to protect Asgard from any further attacks," he explained. _

"_No Loki, it's too dangerous. This is a reckless, impulsive plan born from Thor's anger. One of you is going to get hurt, or worse." She grabbed hold of his shoulders then to keep him from leaving. "Don't go," she begged. _

"_I must stand with my brother in this," he explained, leading them into a more private corridor so no one would hear their conversation. "He is going regardless if anyone else does. I have to be there for him." _

_Seeing the pleading look in her eyes nearly tore him apart. He knew what horrible anxiety he was putting her through but it could not be helped. Thinking of only one thing to do, __Loki took her face in his hands and kissed her longingly. He savored the feel of her soft lips against his own knowing that it may be the last time he would._

_The moment his lips touched hers, a fire lit in Sora. She immediately wrapped her arms around his neck. Her only thought was to not let him go, to keep him there with her where he'd be safe and out of harm's way. She couldn't let him go with Thor and the others._

"_Open your mouth, Sora." Loki whispered between kisses, his voice was soft and laden with passion as he nuzzled her cheek in encouragement. All he wanted to do was fold himself into her._

_Sora eagerly did as he asked, wanting more than anything to prolong his stay, and he immediately slipped his impatient tongue between her parted lips. She sighed softly as he tasted her and curled her fingers into his long hair. He wished he did not have to tear himself away from her but time was running out and he had to leave her and prepare himself for the bitter frost of Jotenhiem._

_Withdrawing from her, he cupped her cheek in his hand and locked gazes with her. "I have to leave now. Go to the council meeting- pretend that you know nothing of this."_

"_No, I will not lose you to the Frost Giants!" she cried, gripping tightly onto his clothing. "Don't you see that Thor's plan is mad?"_

"_I do," he nodded, taking her hands in his and gently prying them from his emerald green tunic and running his thumbs over her knuckles. "But he is my brother." _

_Sora nodded then, still upset that he was going to go, but understanding why he had to. He pressed his warm forehead against hers then, closing his eyes in a silent goodbye before letting go of her. _

"_Promise that you will come back," she whispered. _

"_I promise." _

_He kissed her one more time before he ran down the hall then towards the armory. Sora watched him until he disappeared from her sight. It took all her willpower to be able to let him leave. She knew that only bad things would come of Thor's venture to the ice planet but she had to allow Loki to do his duty to his family. He would have to do the same thing for her if it were her in his place._

Sora's eyes snapped open then, nearly jumping out of her sleep. Gripping onto the tree branch above and below her, she steadied herself. She couldn't have been asleep from more than five minutes because the sun had not gone down yet. Dreaming of Loki put her on edge. She could help but fear that every time she closed her eyes, she would see him in the darkness.

Sora had deliberately betrayed him and she knew that her heart would never forgive her for it. Not even when it knew she was doing what was necessary to save Asgard. She supposed she would deal with that when the time came. But for now, she just had to sit with the knowledge that she was soon about to suffer a crippling loss.

AN: Changed some things from before in this chapter! Made some mistakes it didn't catch. After a long vacation I am finally back! Please let me know if you're still interested in reading. If not I won't update. So please **REVIEW** :)


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10:**

Sora shot upright in her bed, a loud scream ripping from her throat as she desperately kicked off the sheets that had become tangled around her in the night. Realizing she was now awake, she tried to catch her breath and calm herself. The terrifying images of her most recent nightmare began to roll off of her as reality eased its way back into the foreground of her mind. Gazing into the darkness of the bedroom, her grey eyes fixed on the wall in front of her. Every evening since she arrived at the cabin, she dreamed about Loki. However, they weren't simple dreams she endured, they were night terrors, and she knew that they were not going to go away anytime soon.

In her dreams, Loki would always find her. Sometimes would torture her for her traitorous acts against him; his green eyes vicious and his grin twisting into one of manic pleasure at her pain. Other times she would see her friends and every Asgardian being made a slave as Loki fell further into madness. But every time, without fail, consumed with rage fueled by her betrayal of their love, Loki would kill her. He would tear her apart, stab her, bleed her out, choke her, break her neck… after he was finished he would stare at her corpse in relief, as if he had just exercised a demon rooted deep within him.

This last nightmare, Loki had pushed a dagger through her throat and watched in triumph as her eyes went dark. Most times Sora wished the Loki she knew from her past was there beside her, to hold her close to his chest and reassure her that what she saw in her dreams was not true. But this was a foolish desire and she knew it.

Throwing the rest of the heavy covers off of her, Sora made her way into the kitchen and picked up the bow and quiver of arrows she had found in the back of a wardrobe on her second day. They were her grandfather's- an old weapon and handmade, but true. The dark wood bow was embellished with intricate carvings of Swedish dragons from Earth and ancient Asgardian runes that swirled across the wood like vines.

She had begun practicing with it by the chopping block at the back of the cottage, deciding that she should learn how to use it in order to protect herself. She did not want to imagine a situation where she would have to take someone's life but she had to accept the very real possibility that one day soon she might have to. Sora was by no means weak-hearted, if it would protect the ones she loved, the ones she saw tortured so frequently in her nightmares, then she would kill when the time came. She was no longer just a politician anymore.

At first, she was terrible at shooting. If she began her training back at the palace, she would have been laughed out of the archery range. But with daily practice, she was greatly improving. Even though her arm muscles were always tired and sore, each training session she was able to stretch the bow a bit tighter and handle it with greater ease. The stately trees at the edges of the clearing were her targets, and she could now, after three days time, finally hit one and make the arrow stick soundly in the wood. It was at close range, but a rather large improvement nevertheless.

Threading an arrow, Sora drew back the bowstring and aimed it at an X she had carved into a tree nearby. The sore muscles in her hands and forearms started to quiver and she waited calmly, willing herself to still her movements. Finding her window of opportunity, she seized it and let loose her arrow. The tip sunk into the trunk of the tree at the top right corner of her intended mark.

She couldn't hold back the smug, prideful grin that spread across her face. There was no one around to see it anyway she figured as she all but sauntered over to the tree she had just struck to retrieve her arrow. She remembered well what it was like sending off her loved ones into battle. She now wondered if she was going to be the one to ride off instead.

_It had not been known until the meeting of Odin and Laufey, but the idea of a peace treaty had divided the people of Jotunhiem and the ice planet was on the brink of a civil war. Laufey would later side with his people in order to stave the rage that was building in his kingdom and political relations between the two worlds would remain as they always have always been. _

_When the issue of civil unrest in Jotunhiem had been made known to Odin and the council, it was too late. The ambassadors of Jotunhiem had waited too long to make their domestic troubles known. The conflict had already escalated to untamable levels and a drastic decision had to be made by Laufey. The king of the Frost Giants decided to abandon the treaty and go back home to reclaim order. No one could blame him, but the loss was a heavy blow to Sora and her party._

_Many in Asgard were not sad to see the treaty unsigned as well as to see Laufey leave. However there were many others who saw it as a crippling loss for both realms. Sadly those people had no significant political positions in the government nor were they well represented in the overly conservative council._

_After the wars of old, the people of Asgard desired some measure of peace to avoid anything like them again. Even though Asgard won the battles, the price of victory was far too high for many families. Many sons and daughters never returned home in the last battle and they wished never to face that same fear again._

_It seemed that all Sora's and the council's work was for nothing and all hopes for unity was lost. Yet Sora was not ready to let the treaty die. She would consult Oden, demanding that he let her make one last stitch effort and embark on a diplomatic mission to Jotenhiem to try and convince Laufey to return to Asgard and reconsider signing the treaty._

_When she informed the council of her plans to go to Jotenhiem, the entire meeting hall was in an uproar. This request of hers was highly unprecedented and was not going to be taken lightly by anyone. _

_Odin immediately called the room to silence and all of the members obeyed the command of their king, even his mal-mannered son, Thor. Standing up from his throne, Odin looked down at Sora who was standing alone on the dais below him where she had just proposed her plan of action. She felt completely isolated standing there, but she was determined._

"_Consul Sora, are you telling me you wish to enter the realm of the Frost Giants, alone and unarmed to try and re-propose the treaty of peace?" Asked Odin; his full voice booming across the hall._

"_I am," she confirmed as she looked up at her king. She was unfaltering in her reply._

_Loki, who sat to the left of his father, felt his chest grow cold at Sora's words. "Father, this is madness," he protested, switching his gaze between Odin and Sora. Whether or not Sora understood how dangerous this mission was, Loki absolutely did not want her going._

"_I am determined to do this," Sora said, fixing the panel of consuls before her with a steady gaze- however, the fire burning beneath her bright eyes was clear. She had made up her mind on this the day Laufey and his consuls left Asgard and she could not be dissuaded, even by Loki Odinson. "It is for the good of Asgard," she said, her voice growing a bit softer as she regarded the dark prince with a meaningful look. His concern meant a lot to her, but surely he knew this had to be done. _

"_You have great heart Consul Sora, and I will let you go to Jotenhiem on one condition: that you take one of our warriors with you."_

_Sora nodded in agreement, apparently she had won. _

"_However, since this mission of yours does not constitute as a part of the Asgardian warrior's oath, you must recruit a willing volunteer."_

_Sora's heart dropped then as she turned to look at the wall of people behind her. The room had grown completely silent, as she searched the crowed for any volunteer. Not one man or woman stepped forward to stand with her. It seemed that Odin did not need to refuse her request after all. _

_Then she heard a voice call out from behind her, "I will go."_

_Sora's entire body froze then at the sound of the familiar voice. Slowly turning around, she saw Loki Odinson standing in front of his chair, looking directly down at her. His brother and father stared at him in some shock. Suddenly, the entire hall broke out into loud, rapid whispers. It seemed that she had gotten her volunteer._

_The sun began to set over Asgard, the golden city becoming veiled in darkness as Mara and Loki quietly readied their horses to ride out to the Bifrost. Odin had accepted Loki's pledge and announced to the Council that they would leave for Jotenhiem the next evening. This gave Sora plenty of time to dwell on the prince's decision to go with her. She had not expected Odin to make her endanger someone else's life by taking someone to protect her- especially someone she had begun to consider her friend. It was too dangerous a mission. She did not mind undertaking it herself however she did not want to be responsible for putting another in harm's way._

_She spied a glance at Loki who stood in front of the weapons rack, deciding on what he should take with him. He seemed calm, his green gaze stoic as he picked up a silver dagger from one of the hooks. Perhaps undertaking this task was not frightening to him, after all he was a warrior and a son of Odin. But still, she could not help the anxiety she felt building in her gut at the thought of him having to risk his life to protect her. Surely it would have been nothing for Odin to let her bear the burden of this mission alone. It would not matter so much if something were to happen to her, but she could not have the death of a prince of Asgard on her head. _

"_Why did you volunteer?" Sora asked, unable to stay silent about it any longer._

"_You're upset that I had," Loki observed evenly, looking over at her as he began to hide several gold throwing knives about his person. His expression was unreadable._

"_No, I am very grateful for the gesture, but you are a prince of Asgard, why should you be the one sent to protect me? Your life is far more important than that of a consul's." She said, regarding him with a look of great concern. Sora was trying to be as diplomatic as she could but was unable to hide her feelings on the matter. "I had expected that I'd be able to go into Jotenhiem alone, not to have to endanger the life of someone else. This is unfair to you. Loki… your father should not have allowed you to go."_

_Despite being pleased to hear that she cared for his well-being, Loki couldn't help but smirk wryly at her last statement about his father. The last thing Odin would do was deprive one of his sons from seeking glory in battle; in fact he was practically overjoyed to hear that Loki wished to volunteer for this dangerous mission. _

"_Actually I think he is quite pleased that I'm going," he answered, rubbing his hands together in a strange manner. A slight bitterness filled him then as he thought on the matter of his father's ridiculous expectations of him. He was not Thor, and it clearly showed in the ways that his father often treated him._

_Sora pulled her silver and fur trimmed riding boots on over her black leather leggings. Her attire was quite different today than what the elegant politician normally wore. It looked as if today, she was riding into battle… which in this case she probably was. Loki thought it suited her very well, but he kept that opinion to himself. _

"_Is that why you volunteered, to make your father happy?" She asked, a bit quieter as she folded her fur-lined cloak over her arm. If his answer was yes, she was going to beg him to reconsider going. There was no reason why he should risk his life so needlessly. _

"_No," he replied simply. "But I have my reasons." A smile spread across his handsome face then- one that clearly meant he knew something that she did not._

_Regardless of what that look meant, the seriousness of his manner told Sora that he was resolved to go with her. She could not dissuade him even if she wished. Perhaps he felt just as strongly as she did about the mission, or maybe in his mind, he regarded his own reasons as being just as important as hers. _

"_Are you ready?" he asked, approaching her. _

_Sora nodded, holding fast to her courage as she mounted her horse. Loki mounted his as well and then took the lead as he showed her the way to the Bifrost. Sora followed alongside him as they rode down the rainbow bridge at a fast pace, the pounding of their horses feet on the glass sounded like war drums calling out to Jotenhiem. She only hoped Laufey would listen to reason, that Loki and her would be able to protect their realm. _

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	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

_When they dismounted, they left their horses a few feet from the entrance of the Bifrost where Heimdall was waiting for them._

_"Good evening Consul Sora… Loki," he greeted. _

_Sora was so distracted by the fact that the Gatekeeper knew her name, she missed the strange tone in which he greeted Loki. It was said that the Gatekeeper saw all things in this realm and beyond- all things he turned his gaze to anyhow. To Sora, it would seem that the rumors were right._

_"Good evening, Heimdall," Sora said, smiling politely to the man in the golden armor._

_"Gatekeeper," Loki greeted, trying not to sound confrontational. He and Heimdall had never gotten along, for the Gatekeeper always distrusted his mischievous nature and Loki resented the man's gift of universal sight._

_"When you reach Jotenhiem, be on your guard at all times. There are far more dangers lurking on the ice planet than mere Jotens. And remember, if your reentry into Asgard poses a threat to this realm, I will keep the Bifrost closed and you will perish in the dark wasteland of Jotenhiem."_

_Sora nodded and smiled a bit taken aback before replying, "That's highly reassuring. We shall be extra careful not to do or touch anything out of the ordinary." _

_With a friendly nod to Heimdall, she left the two men on the platform to go and stand in front of the opening of the Bifrost. She was readier than she'd ever be and would rather get the traveling part over with as soon as possible. Loki couldn't help but smirk at her response. He was beginning to see that the politician was not at all lacking in a sense of humor; which he was rather pleased by. _

_Seeing that Sora got to the edge of the Bifrost safely, Heimdall turned his attention to Loki then. "Protect her well," He told him, giving him a stern look of warning. His amber eyes bore into his green ones in a moment of suspended time before he turned and plunged his sword into the opening of the Bifrost._

_"You can be assured that I will," Loki answered shortly, confused as to why he was being given such a distrusting look. His intentions were purely good- it was insulting that the Gatekeeper would automatically assume otherwise. _

_Loki walked down the platform to join Sora at the opening of the Bifrost. Stopping next to her, he clasped his hands in front of him and looked over at her. She was staring out at the endless sea of stars that stretched out before them. The first time Loki had ever looked out on this very same view, he felt that he was standing on the precipice of the universe. Loki was informed beforehand that this would be the first time that Mara would travel through the Bifrost; and if he wasn't the stiffness in her body certainly was telling. He expected that she was beginning to have a few doubts about this particular mode of transportation now that they were being surrounded by white lightning. _

_"Are you nervous?" He asked, gazing over at her._

_Loki's question pulled Sora from her mind's musings then. "No of course not," She answered, trying her best to keep her voice from wavering. Still, she could not fool Loki who cracked a smile at her response. _

_"It'll be alright," he told her. "Trust me, I've done this many times before."_

_Sora nodded and swallowed hard at the sight of the Bifrost warming up around them. She could feel the hum of the rainbow bridge come to life beneath her feet as the portal began spinning at a pace that was too fast for her eyes to track. She wanted to reach out to him, to cling onto his hand for reassurance, but clenched her sweaty palms instead, her gaze locked on the vast universe before them. _

_"How many times have you been to Jotenhiem?" She asked, hoping that being conversational would quell her rapid nerves._

_Loki thought on this question a moment before tentatively answering, "This will be my first."_

_Sora shot him an anxious glance, opening her mouth to say something but as she did the two of them were suddenly thrown out into space on the current of the Bifrost. Shafts of blinding light engulfed them as they hurled through the universe, the stars surrounding them barely visible in the multicolored spectrum they traveled on. Suddenly Sora's whole body was jarred from their sudden landing._

_The next breath that Sora drew into her lungs was ice-cold and hard. When she opened her eyes, which were drawn to the ground, she saw Loki's feet next to hers, both of them covered in snow. Looking up, she gazed at the treacherous landscape of crumbling ice that spanned out before them for miles. It was hard to believe that any sort of living creature could actually survive in this frozen wasteland and she was suddenly weary of meeting anything that did._

_"So this is Jotenhiem," Loki breathed next to her. He too was looking around at the mysterious realm before them. It was a place he had only heard of in legends. _

_"May I have one of your daggers?" Sora asked him calmly, masking her fear as she straitened up her stance. _

_"Be my guest," Loki said, handing her the golden weapon from his arm gaunt. He felt better giving her some form of protection. "I was surprised you didn't take anything from the armory," he said looking over at her now with the same concerned gaze he often gave her. He could already tell that this planet was no place for someone like her._

_Sora bent down and sheathed the dagger in the top of her boot. "I wouldn't know how to use any of it even if I did," she admitted. "I'm a warrior of words, not of weapons."_

_"I suppose it is lucky I am both," he said, ushering her forward as they began to walk through the icy caverns. His statement, although somewhat arrogant, had made Sora feel somewhat better about their current predicament._

_The further they walked away from the opening of the Bifrost, the more rugged the terrain became. Loki would find a path for them through the icy ruins of the war-torn city. Sora wondered silently to herself if all of this decay was a result of Asgard withholding the Jotens' casket from them. Perhaps their hatred for the Asgardians manifested out of this form of subjugation. If that was the case, the solutions to this problem seemed insurmountable. _

_Following Loki as he climbed over a large collapsed column blocking their path, Sora got to the top and looked down the other side and found it was going to take a pretty significant jump to get down there, at least for her small frame. _

_Seeing Sora's hesitation, Loki offered her his hand so he could ease some of the force of her fall. Sora paused for a moment, looking at this seemingly innocent gesture with some foolish embarrassment, before slipping her cold fingers into his. Taking a breath, she jumped down to the ground below. Loki caught her around the waist with his other hand in order to steady her. Their eyes met briefly before Loki stepped aside, releasing her._

_Sora politely thanked him, her cheeks more than likely red form the encounter. Luckily, it was cold out so they were already red to begin with. She tried to ignore the sudden heat she had felt in their touch and in their glance, but now every time she looked over at him she was reminded of it. Yet Sora needed to push such thoughts from her mind. He was a prince of Asgard and she was a politician. Their mere friendship was dangerous enough much less the idea of them having something more. Realizing that she had fallen behind her companion in her musings, Sora quickly caught up and from that point on tried to keep her focus on the road. _

_"We have yet to have seen anyone," Loki observed, his green eyes scanning the ruins around them as he continued forward. "It's not exactly comforting."_

_"It is very strange," Sora agreed, folding her arms inside her cloak for warmth. "The war must have done more damage to the Jotens than we had thought," she concluded, her heart becoming heavy in her chest. She knew Asgard had taken punitive measures to make sure Jotenhiem never tried to invade Midgard again but she had not known that they were this harsh. She wished the other consuls could see what Jotenhiem had been reduced to. Maybe then they would see the necessity of an alliance. Asgard could no longer be responsible for the suppression of an entire realm. _

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	12. Chapter 12

_When they finally reached the heart of the Joten city, Loki made sure to keep Sora close to his side. He could feel the Frost Giants all around them; watching them from within the ruins of their decrepit homes. It felt like the entire city was alive. Both of them could hear the faint crunching of ice under footfalls and the rubbing of dry hands on frozen stone. _

"_They're here," whispered Sora._

_Loki nodded, "And no doubt they us have surrounded." _

_Entering what appeared to be the front of the Joten palace, Sora and Loki approached the tall throne which Laufey was sitting on. The king turned his gaze towards them. _

"_You've escaped being killed by a Joten once, Consul," he growled. His dark tone clearly indicating that they were unwelcome. His red eyes narrowed on Sora as he continued to speak, "Why tempt fate?"_

"_Your highness," Sora said, bowing respectfully to him before she continued. Loki followed suit, only his bow was far shallower than hers. "I swear to you, we have come here with only the best intentions."_

"_We shall see about that," he informed her gruffly, his eyes seeming to glow like red embers against his dark blue skin. "Why have you come here?"_

_Loki watched the Joten king in distrust, feeling that whatever Sora was about to say would do nothing to sway the Frost Giant's position. Laufey seemed in no mood to negotiate, and if this wasn't clear to Sora then it was certainly clear to Loki._

"_I ask you to consider reopening negotiations with Asgard," said Sora, stepping closer to the throne. Laufey stood up from his seat and glared down at her then. The threatening look in his eyes immediately put Loki on guard. _

"_Your peace is a lost cause. After the war, Asgard had brought us to the brink of destruction. When I returned home from your realm, I was wisely reminded of that," he informed her. _

_Suddenly, the Frost Giants they had sensed before began to appear then. They stepped out from behind the ruins and dark shadows they were hiding in, their hostile gazes firmly fixed on Sora and Loki. _

_Sora stepped closer to her companion then, her heart pounding fearfully in her chest. Loki looked around him, counting the number of Frost Giants that had appeared- already knowing that there were too many for him to take alone._

_Swallowing her fear, Sora calmly spoke to Laufey once again. "Your highness, not but few days ago you advocated peace between our two realms. I know that Asgard punished your kingdom unfairly in the past but there are people on the Council who understand. Please believe that we can help… do not be deceived by false friends."_

"_You dare to speak of false friends to me?" the king snarled dangerously, gritting his sharp teeth. Sora instantly realized she had made a mistake in her wording then. "The only false friends I know of here are you and that spare son of Odin's you brought with you." He then advanced towards the edge of his throne, his red eyes staring down at them in severe loathing. "Jotenhiem stands alone, pathetic woman, it always has."_

_Loki opened his mouth then, about to make an attempt to defuse the satiation but just as he did, there was a large crack beneath the two Asgardian's feet. The sound was immediately followed by a sudden shift in the earth, sending them off balance. It was like the breaking of melting ice. Loki quickly steadied himself and grabbed a throwing knife from beneath his cloak, readying himself for whatever would follow._

_Suddenly two massive, white canine-like beasts emerged from under the ice at the foot of Laufey's throne. Their clawed paws gripped onto the ground as they pulled themselves up out of the dense, frozen earth. The giant creatures were covered in long white fur, their eyes red and narrowed in rage-filled just like the Frost Giants currently surrounding them. _

_As the beasts spotted their prey, they bared their long viscous teeth at the two Asgardians as they slowly advanced on them, their thick muscles clearly defined beneath their fur. Loki took hold of Mara's shoulders and cautiously backed them away from the two terrifying creatures. _

"_I believe negotiations are over," he mumbled in her ear as he pulled her back towards the entrance of the palace._

"_Clearly," she replied, short of breath. "What's your plan to get us out of this?"_

_Loki's brow rose then, "Who says that I have one… although, running maybe a good start."_

"_Right," Sora nodded, immediately grabbing his hand tightly in hers and bolting in the direction of a nearby alcove._

_At that moment, the two beasts took off after them and were soon hot on their heels. Loki, who was being dragged by Sora, used his magic to energize the blade he currently was holding and sent it flying at the nearest beast. The creature howled and tripped over itself when the dagger pierced its flesh, exploding on impact. The trickster smirked at his work for a moment until he looked over his shoulder again and saw that the beast had gotten right back up and began to pursue them once more._

_When they reach the alcove, Loki pushed them up against a wall of ice for cover. Dislodging his hand from Sora's determined death grip, Loki threw two more daggers at the beasts. One lodged itself in one of the creature's eyes, temporarily immobilizing it. _

_At the end of the alcove was a set of stairs leading higher into the palace. Loki could hear the creatures clawing at the walls behind them, too large to be able to go directly after them. _

_The injured one stayed behind, however the other was dogged in its determination to get to them. As Sora and Loki quickly ascended, they heard a scratching on the outside of the walls to the decrepit stairwell- like the sound stone masonry being torn apart. Before either of them could identify what it was, they passed a crumbled wall and the beast lunged through the gaping hole at them, swiping its giant paw._

_Relying on his quick reflexes, Loki pushed Sora forwards and out of the way of the blow as he hit the floor, the creature barely missing him as it's claws tore at the opposite wall. Scrambling to his feet, he grabbed Sora up by the shoulders and urged them forwards up the stairs. Coming to a door, the two pushed through it only to find themselves in what was now only half a room- the structure crumbling from centuries of neglect, torn open to weather the elements. _

"_It's a dead end! What are we going to do?" Sora breathed in fear, the wind from the open side of the ruin pulling at her hair. She locked gazes with Loki as he quickly made his way over to her. Once he was only a foot away, he wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her protectively againt him._

"_Hold onto me Sora and don't let go," he told her, his ragged breaths heating the side of her face as he gripped onto her even tighter._

_Sora's heart quickened as she wrapped her arms around him like he told her to. She then heard him rapidly murmuring some ancient language under his breath, repeating the incantation over and over again. The strong icy wind pulled at their clothes and bit their skin as Loki slowly walked them closer and closer to the crumbling edge of the room. _

_Then the beast blasted through the open doorway, rubble and snow scattering in its wake. It violently shook the ice from its fur as it roared loudly at the two of them- furious for having to chase them so far. Sora's eyes desperately searched out another way to run, but found that their only escape was now blocked by the beast. _

"_Don't be afraid." He whispered to her. His heels were now right at the edge of the precipice, his heart pounding hard in his chest. He had never done what he was about to do, but if he wanted to get both of them out alive it was the only option they had left._

_Sora looked over the side of the ruin and then up into his deep, focused eyes, knowing he was about to jump. "Loki-" she blurted out, now petrified, her voice cracking in fear. _

"_Just don't let go of me, Sora," he told her, gripping onto her tightly, almost forcefully, as he leaned backwards and let his weight carry them over the edge of the ruin._

_Sora's stomach leapt in her throat, the sickening sensation catching hold of her as they freefell through the sharp icy air. Suddenly they were wrapped in a dark haze and stars shot past them as they gained more and speed. Instead of falling from an icy turret, it felt like they were now being thrown through space. _

_They suddenly crashed onto solid ground, the world around them becoming bright and golden as the black haze immediately dispersed. Their bodies rolled across the hard golden floor beneath them from the force of the fall. When they came to a stop, Loki slowly cracked open his eyes and looked around. They were safely back in Asgard; on the balcony of the dining hall. His spell had worked. Remembering that he was still holding Sora, Loki looked down at her to find her wide-eyed and softly panting against his chest in fear._

"_Are you alright?" He asked, gently pulling himself away from her and scanning her body for injuries. _

"_Yes," Sora breathed, still in shock. She was trembling from her previous adrenaline rush as she met his concerned gaze. Realizing that they were both still alive, she began to laugh in sheer relief. _

"_Well I'm glad you're feeling good, I think I may have broken my spine when we landed," he said, rubbing what was soon going to be a large bruise on his lower back. He had taken the brunt of the impact._

_Sora felt a pang of sympathy for him as she sat up and brushed her rumpled hair and clothes down. She could only guess that he had protected her from the worst of the fall. As she looked over at him, she saw he had a small but deep cut on his forehead above his right eyebrow. She did not know where he received that particular injury, but she knew that it took quite a lot to injure a god. Even though he did not seem to notice the gash, Sora still felt guilty about it. She had led them into that danger and Loki willingly risked his life going with her- she did not know how she'd ever repay his kindness. _

_A small trickle of blood ran down his forehead and into his eyebrow. Once seeing it, Sora to edged over to him._

"_Hold still," Sora said, reaching out and gently wiping away the thick drop of blood that was threatening to drip into his eye. Their gazes met and as he thanked her. Feeling her face begin to flush, Sora turned her face from his in embarrassment. She then began to nervously rub the red substance between her fingers. It was just then that she saw the cuts and bruises on her hands. Jotenhiem was clearly not a kind environment for Asgardians. _

"_What happened to us… how did you do that?" She asked quietly, catching his green gaze once more as she wiped another spot of blood from his temple. _

_Loki paused before answering, concentrating on the feel of her gentle touch on his face. "I used a transportation spell I've been working on. If I'm being honest, I wasn't sure it was going to work."_

"_Well, I'm very glad you tried it," she said with a sincere grin as she withdrew her hand from his face._

_Loki let out a small laugh, slightly embarrassed by her praise of him. Frankly he had been caught off guard because it was so unexpected. There were none in Asgard that valued magic. To some, Loki's skills were just 'cheap tricks' as his brother called them and to others they were the work of the wicked. No one trusted a man who used magic._

"_Perhaps we should finish this conversation in the healing room," he suggested, pushing himself up off the floor and then helping her up as well. _

**PLEASE REVIEW! **be kind and feed your author- you shall be rewarded in return ;)


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13:

_Sora gently dabbed the blood away from the cut on Loki's forehead. She had to make sure the area was clean before going to work on healing the gash. _

_It did not take them too long to get into the healing rooms unnoticed. Loki knew all the back passages. Now that they were inside, they had to muddle through mending each other as best they could without the healers. It would have been better to call upon one, but that would only bring on the inevitable storm of consuls and their endless inquiry about their journey and mysterious return home. Loki asked that Sora not mention the spell he used to open the portal. It could mean a great deal of grief for him if anyone found out he could travel through space without the help of the Bifrost. Sora had agreed to keep silent, painfully aware of the council's distrust of him._

_The injured prince was sitting on the couch, leaning his head against the seat back and looking up at the vaulted ceiling. Sora sat beside him, a bloodstained rag in hand as she carefully cleaned him up. Dipping her fingers into the basin of healing waters by her side, she held them over his wound and allowed the droplets to fall on it. Loki winced in pain as the water bound his flesh back together._

_"Sorry, forgot to warn you about the sting," she said, a playful grin tugging at her lips. He had once said these very words to her the day they first met. He was cleaning her wounds at the time. Loki let out an amused laugh, accepting that perhaps he had that one coming. _

_As he waited for the wound to heal, Sora began to study the smooth planes of his angular face. He was not the hero she had imagined for herself when she was a girl. Yet somehow, she preferred him to any other man she knew- far more than she had felt safe to admit. Her attraction to him was frighteningly real. So palpable, she could barely keep herself from reaching out and touching him. Breaking out of her revere, she noticed her hand hovering over his chest. She cautiously withdrew it before he could notice. _

_"There," she said lowering the cloth to her side and examining the newly healed cut. Her cheeks were slightly pink from her near indiscretion. "I'm all done."_

_Loki slowly sat up and turned to face her. "Alright, now you," he insisted, taking the cloth from her hand and motioning for her sit back._

_Sora looked at him slightly confused, "am I injured?" She had not felt nor thought she was. Perhaps it slipped her mind due to all the previous excitement. _

_"Only slightly," he said with a light smirk. Bringing the cloth up to her face, he gently pressed it to several small grazes on her left cheek and jaw. Sora's breathing slowed at his gentle touch. Loki was very careful to be gentle, his expression soft and almost boyish as he dabbed at her cuts. The light ghosting of his fingers across her face was no accident as his deep green eyes sought out her starry grey ones. _

_Sora held her breath in suspense as he reached up and curled his hand around the back of her neck. His long fingers slid into her hair, making Sora shiver from his intimately close proximity. It would have been wise for her to stop him, but she couldn't bring herself to._

_So when Loki pulled her close and pressed a soft, languid kiss to her lips, she melted into him. Sora knew the sensible thing to do would be to break away, but she found herself twining her fingers in the back of his long hair and pulling him closer to her._

_Loki had wanted this for a long time, ached for it even. But he had to wait for the proper moment to arise before he could show her how he felt. Even though he knew he should have let the matter drop, the more he got to know her, the more he was certain that he wouldn't be able to leave her alone. Maybe if it were another woman he could, but not Sora. They fit together somehow, in a strange way. It was improper to be sure, but being who he was, he often enjoyed a bit of impropriety._

_The tip of her tongue brushed lightly against his lower lip and whether it was on purpose or not, it stoked Loki's passion. Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, he lowered her down onto the couch and pressed her into the cushions as he deepened their kiss. Caught in the moment, he slid his hand up over the front of her tunic and settled on the swell of her breast. The moment he realized this, he pulled away from her lips and moved his hand off of her chest with an embarrassed laugh. Sora saw the light blush creeping up onto his cheeks and couldn't help but smile._

_"Sorry about the hand," he said somewhat sheepishly. Still, there was that ever-present mischievous glint in his eyes._

_She let out a small laugh as he helped her back up to a sitting position next to him. "Don't worry, if I were offended, you would know."_

_Loki's smile turned impish then, "I'm certain I would."_

_The doors to the halls burst open then and both Loki and Sora tore their hands off of each other. Resuming a professional demeanor, they turned to greet the sudden intruders._

**Please Review! **I know it's been a while but I'm working hard to get more chapters up and in a timelier fashion. Please feed you author! Love, Miss Scary Kitty!


	14. Chapter 14

__**Chapter 14**

_Loki and Sora turned to see two guards standing in the doorway of the healing room._

_The two armored men bowed before them and waited patiently for Loki to bid them to speak._

_"Yes?" Loki asked, unwavering in his collected demeanor. He knew that their appearance was not a good thing._

_"My Lord," one of them spoke, his arms stiff at his sides. "Heimdall has requested to see you. He says it is a matter of great urgency."_

_"I shall be there in a moment," Loki answered before dismissing them. _

_The moment the guards closed the doors upon their leaving, Sora's anxious gaze captured his. Loki still appeared calm._

_"It was only a matter of time till Heimdall called," He sighed, standing up from his seat on the couch._

_"Should I come with you?" She asked, hoping she might act as a buffer against the Gatekeeper's wrath._

_"No," Loki replied, gently stroking her cheek. "Heimdall requested only my presence. You have not seen his uglier side while I am quite used to it. This shall be nothing for me but a stroll in the gardens."_

_"Are you sure?"_

_"Believe me, there have been far worse things Heimdall has caught me doing," he said with a wide, mischievous smile. _

_Mara wished she could be so lighthearted about this situation as he was, but she couldn't help but worry for him. "I wish you luck," she told him, standing up and taking his hands in hers. It was an act she could easily see herself getting used to._

_"I will be fine. But perhaps I need kiss for reassurance," he said, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. _

_Sora pulled his lips down to hers in a long kiss goodbye. When she released him, she placed a gentle hand over his heart._

_"Come back to me in one piece, God of Mischief," she told him before letting him leave._

_As Loki headed down the hall towards the Bifrost, he couldn't help breaking into a wide grin._

_Nearing the end of the Bifrost, Loki saw Heimdall step out of the gateway, his stride long and purposeful. Loki on the other hand felt rather cheery as he nodded to the Gatekeeper. _

_"What is it I'm being accused of now, Heimdall?" He asked, all smiles as he stopped in front of the hulking man before him. Though weary of them when he was a boy, the Gatekeeper's stern amber eyes did nothing to faze him nowadays._

_"You and the consul made your way back into Asgard without the use of the Bifrost-"_

_"But clearly not without your knowing," Loki pointed out._

_"Indeed," Heimdall replied, glaring down at the silver tongued prince. He distrusted him above all others in the kingdom. He had plenty of evidence to support his reasons for doing so._

_"If I wished to do harm, I promise you would not know of it so soon," he said arrogantly._

_"I had assumed that you and Sora were in peril. That the dark magic you used to get the two of you home was a last resort on your part. You wouldn't have revealed your skill unless it was absolutely necessary," he said. In fact he knew what he was describing was true. He had turned his eyes on them while they were in Jotunhiem. _

_Loki merely shrugged at Heimdall's observation, "You use your gifts whenever you see fit and I do the same with mine."_

_The Gatekeeper's eyes narrowed on him then, "As I have seen, Loki Liesmith." _

_"So, are we going to tell my father of this?" He asked cheekily._

_"No," Heimdall breathed. It was as if the ground had shook under the utterance of that one word. "You protected consul Sora as I had instructed. I believe that merits a bit of discretion from me. However, don't think I will not be inquiring about your mysterious return at a later time."_

_"Oh, I don't doubt it," Loki replied with a snarky look._

_The Gatekeeper ignored the prince's ungratefulness and headed back inside the Bifrost. He knew, regardless of what Loki said, the prince was relieved. His secret, if found out by Odin, would not earn him any friends in the palace and Loki had enough enemies as it was. _

_The trickster had brought Sora back safely, though he was not obligated to do so. Heimdall was willing to believe that perhaps there might be some redeeming qualities about Loki. Either that, or he had a special fondness for the girl. The thought was somewhat troubling to him. He knew Loki was not the type of person to refuse himself his desires- especially when those desires are forbidden. He would have to keep his eye on him for a while to make sure the second son of Asgard was acting accordingly. Loki would only be given a free pass from him once._

**AN:** **Thank you everyone** for your continued support! I hope you like this chapter, it was pretty fun to write in Heimdall again :) We're switching back to present day in the next chapter and some serious stuff goes down! Very excited for all of you to read that! **PLEASE REVIEW! **


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15:

Prying her arrows from the nearby tree trunks, Sora placed them back in their leather quiver and headed inside the cottage. During her days in exile, she wrote letters to the Council, warning them of the dangers they now faced with Loki as their king. She hoped that they were given serious consideration and that Merin would recognize them as her way of giving the Council aid from the outside as she had promised.

Whether they listened to her or not was something else entirely. She could be fighting losing battle and not even know it. Loki had a way of persuading people and who knows whom he had gotten to in the Council. It was true that he was not trusted by most of the citizens in Asgard but if he slipped gold into the waiting hands of the corrupt he would win favor fast.

Sitting down at her desk in front of the window, Sora tore off a bit of parchment from her supplies. Putting her quill to the paper, she began to write out instructions to Merin. Once she finished, she folded it up and set it on the windowsill by the door so she would not forget about it.

Every second evening of the week Sora would climb down the mountain and walk to the edge of the forest where a boy named Nuru would be waiting to pick up her letters and deliver them to Merin from inside the palace. His father worked in the kitchens and was perfectly placed to help Sora. Yet involving the boy in such dangerous plans concerned her. Even though she had refused, Nuru's father, Uxor, had sent the boy to meet her anyway. He reassured her that it was an honor to do this for the realm. Sora saw she could not convince him otherwise and said no more on the subject.

Sora stood at the edge of the wood waiting for Nuru to show up. Once he did, she stepped out from behind the tree she had been hiding behind. The starlight illuminated her form against the murky darkness of the woods behind her allowing the boy to find her.

The boy looked around, his dark eyes searching for intruders before he nodded to let her know it was safe to start crossing the field. Gripping her bow tightly in her hand, Sora made her way through the waist-high grasses towards him.

When she was halfway across, there was a sudden rustling and the field came alive with shouts and the drawing of swords. Sora found herself surrounded by a ring of Asgardian soldiers, their weapons drawn. The commander stepped over to fearful Nuru and put his hand on the boy's slim shoulder.

"Consul Sora, Loki, king of Asgard, requests your presence back at the palace," he called out to her.

Her heart rate spiked at the sight of the armed man holding back the child and for a moment she saw red. Grabbing an arrow from her quiver, she expertly threaded it and stretched the bow in one fluid movement. Her aim was fixed on the commander's head.

"Don't you dare hurt him!" She yelled, her teeth barred in a threatening scowl. The pacifist of Asgard was showing a very different side of herself tonight. She knew it was impossible to fight her way out of this, she was caught. But she would defend the boy to her death if she must.

The commander stiffened at the fierce consul before him. A twinge of fear shot up his spine at the sight of her arrow pointing directly at him. "If you come willingly, I see no reason why there should be bloodshed. Please Consul?" He asked; his hands held out in front of him, trying to ease her anger. To see such violence from her was highly unexpected.

"I have your word on this?" Sora asked, her arrow still fixed on its intended mark.

"I swear it to you," he said, his voice oddly calm as he continued to talk her down. "No harm shall befall anyone tonight. Your presence has simply been requested by our king."

"You speak as if Loki were a benevolent god." She said, her arms muscles beginning to shake under the prolonged tension of the stretched bow. "If he gave you that impression, then I pity you. However, I will come with you, for the boy's sake."

The guard, choosing to ignore all but her last sentence, nodded gratefully. A wave of relief washed over him knowing she was going to let him do his job. "Thank you, Consul."

Sora slowly lowered her bow and put away her arrow. The commander released Nuru, who ran directly to Sora.

"I am sorry!" the boy cried. "They made me show them where you were. I'm sorry…" his voice turned to a whimper as he buried his tear streaked face in his little hands.

Sora drew Nuru near to her and knelt down in front of him. "No Nuru, don't be sorry, everything will be alright," she said, gently wiping away his tears. "You've been very brave little soldier. You did exactly what was asked of you. Come, we'll get you home to your father, alright?"

The boy nodded, too scared to ask any more questions and stuck closely to her side as the soldiers sheathed their weapons and escorted the two to the palace.

The walk through the city was long and met with many questioning stares. Sora kept her head high and her eyes on the soldiers in front of her. She took Nuru's hand in hers and gently bid him to keep his head up as well.

Once they reached the palace, the commander allowed her to see that the boy was safely returned to his father. She gave Uxor an angered glare, her expression reiterating her disapproval at his use of his son. Sora wish she could have words with him on the matter but knew she did not have the time.

As she passed Nuru's hand from hers into his she whispered, "I told you and I told Merin- war and politics is not a game for children. Cherish this boy."

The man said nothing, keeping his eyes to the ground as Sora turned from him and was escorted out of the kitchens.

AN: I would ever so love a review!... Loki might have a few things to say about it if you don't. ;)


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16:

Sora was ushered through the giant golden doors and into the throne room. Her bow and quiver had been taken from her before she was allowed to see the king, as was standard procedure. Sora felt strongly about parting with her father's bow, making the commander promise to have it sent up to her rooms. He said he would try, his deadpan tone not convincing her of this in the least.

Loki looked up at her from his lounging position on the throne and smiled as if she was an old friend he hadn't seen in a long while.

"Consul Sora, my Lord," the Commander announced, holding his head high as he presented her to him.

Sora's eyes narrowed on the trickster in front of her, hardly believing he had the gall to smile at her like that. There was nothing friendly or light about this moment and she felt the burning need to viciously berate this deceiver.

"Thank you, Thandrill," Loki said, standing up from his throne. His warlike attire cut an ominous figure atop the royal dais. "You many go now. I have important matters to discuss with Consul Sora."

The Commander bowed his head and took his leave. The guards followed and closed the doors behind them, leaving Sora and Loki alone.

"Hello Sora," he greeted, a serpent's smile curling at his lips. "It is very good to see you again. I was really beginning to get worried. Did you like your escort? I hope they didn't alarm you."

"I'm surprised you didn't have them bring me here in chains," she remarked, regarding him with an acidic look.

"Now what sense would that make when I have already told the Council that your absence was due to a sudden illness?" Sora stared at him in confusion, which prompted a smug grin from Loki. "I would not be so heartless as to kill you Sora, despite what you probably believe."

"And the boy, what about Nuru?" she asked, most eager to discuss this matter.

"Him? His capture was merely a plan to get you to come to me without a fuss," he said with a satisfied grin.

"What will you do with him?" She pressed.

Loki's expression darkened then, making his displeasure of her previous actions clear. As much as he was enjoying his success in her capture, his pleasure still did not outweigh his underlying anger. "Nothing will be done about him for now, unless you decide to defy me again."

"If you hurt him…" she warned, her protective nature seizing her once more.

"You'll what, pacifist?" Loki spat harshly as he looked down his nose at her. Her threats were empty nothings to him. Her honorable nature made her predictable and without many viable options. His morality was grey at best; he had an endless number of tricks he could employ to thwart her cause. "Besides, I already assured you that I haven't done a thing to him. I'm a king, not a monster Sora. There's no need to do more than what's necessary in this case. We want to hide your indiscretion from the council, don't we?"

"What about the letters I sent Merin? Surely he distributed them, otherwise you would not have found it so prudent to hunt for me," she reasoned swiftly. "How will the council believe your thin lie over the crushing weight of my truth?"

Loki grinned widely, setting Sora's teeth on edge… of course he had a plan for that as well, she thought bitterly.

"Oh how I've missed your fire, Sora," he said, the exhilaration clear on his face. Clasping his hands behind his back, he drew closer to her. "Let us be honest, Merin was always on the fringes of the Council. It wasn't hard to convince the other members that he used your illness as an opportunity to push his own anti-war agenda by dispersing a series of seditious letters he claimed was written by your hand. The act would leave him blameless of any treachery. I, of course, came to your immediate defense confirming that you were too ill to speak two words much less wield a quill. You would have been labeled as a traitor had I not intervened in your foolish attempt to insight an uprising. Besides, why would you validate the truth in those letters when it would put your dear friends in peril, especially little Nuru?"

Sora said nothing, her eyes intently studying the floor at her feet. There was nothing that could be done, the serpent had already dispersed its' lethal venom. "What of Merin, now that you've slandered him for my actions?"

"He's been barred from the council by my orders and awaiting trial." Loki knew he could not kill the old goat because Sora was so fond of him. She would never speak to him again if he did. So he would give Merin a mild prison sentence to teach him a lesson and leave it at that. An Asgardian prison was not hospitable to say the very least, so that was enough of a punishment for Loki.

"Though Merin will be punished, I think we both know who the real traitor is don't we Sora? However, I went to great lengths to keep your name clean. So now that you're back, I want this nonsense to stop, is that understood?" He asked, his eyes narrowing on her. It seemed as if he was rebuking a child. His words only stoked her anger. If only she could reply to him in the manner that she wished.

Sora remained quiet, bitterness filling her entire body. The full extent of her failure seemed to have suddenly hit her. And Loki's hand in it infuriated her. Loki had completely and utterly outwitted her, as he often did his opponents, and that irked her to no end.

Loki took her silence as an agreement, whether she meant it to be one or not. "I can be a loving master too Sora," he explained, placing a hand under her chin and tilting her head up to meet his gaze. "As you can see I am very much capable of forgiveness. Simply do not defy me… then you will see how generous I can be."

Waving his hand in the air beside him, he conjured up a gold circlet shaped like a long, thin pair of wings, the tips coming to a point in the front. Sora recognized the circlet of office immediately and stared at it in trepidation, wondering what had happened to its previous wearer- most likely killed or imprisoned for insubordination. She wanted to knock the gift from his hand, repulsed by his gesture of so-called kindness, but stayed her anger knowing it would only cause her more grief.

"I'm appointing you Leader of the High Council," he told her with a pleased smirk as he raised the band of gold over her head. His expression darkened in a brief look of warning as he said, "Wear it well." With that, he placed the circlet atop her head, smoothing his hands over her hair as he slid them down to rest on her bare shoulders. "Are you not pleased?"

"Yes," she bit out. Her fists were clenched so hard that it cut half moon shapes into her palms.

"It vexes me how someone so beautiful could cause me so much trouble," he murmured, as he twisted a lock of her hair between his fingers. "It must be because I love you."

His words were like bitter poison mixed in sweet wine. She wondered if he even knew how deeply he was wounding her by telling her that. It was killing her to know that even through all his rage and his wickedness, that he still loved her. Because, even though he was the sorrow that touched her heart, she still loved him as well. He was surely to be the death of her, but she could not help but love her murderer.

Loki leaned down and kissed her deeply, drinking from the reservoir that often sustained him in his dark times. When he pulled away, he saw from the tears on her cheeks that she was crying.

"I had a dream for us Loki… that we would be together regardless of all the unhappiness and strife in the universe. But how can we when you are the cause of it?" She asked, sinking away from him in despair.

Loki stared at her in shock hardly believing what she had just dared to say. "You would be wise not to speak again," he whispered, his eyes filled with tears of rage. Still, Sora did not care to listen.

"It's so clear to me now that what I wanted for us was a fiction. One that fate ruthlessly mocked by twisting you into something I can barely look at," She growled, gazing through her tears at her cruel prince.

Loki lunged at her then, gripping her throat in his hand and mercilessly pinning her up against the wall.

"I would be within my every right to kill you right now, Sora!" he yelled, barring his teeth like a vicious animal.

Sora cried out in pain, as she instinctively clawed at the hand around her neck. Loki, having the sense enough not to choke her to death, he released her and pinned her wrists to the wall instead. Sora was in such shock and pain that she was unable to move. He was squeezing her wrists so hard now that she felt they might snap.

"It is you who has betrayed our love Sora, not I," he told her. "You are so fixated on keeping your stubborn morals that you'd throw away your own happiness with both hands!"

Sora could not take any more of what Loki was telling her. Sora would cut out her own heart if she thought it would rid her from the pain of loving him. But his soul was already ingrained in hers. Wherever she went, he would always be with her. There was no escaping this.

"What about you!" she yelled in his face, pulling against him with surprising force. "Have you ever thought that you're the one betraying me?"

"Never in my life have I betrayed you, Sora," he swore, his angry voice punctuating every word before roughly taking her face in his hands and kissing her hard on the lips. Sora's hands hung in space beside her, shocked at his boldness. She was about to push him away from her when suddenly he sharply broke away from her. Taking hold of her shoulders, he then guided Sora into the center of the room. "Look at me," he demanded as he stroked her hair away from her face. "Look at me," he repeated, regarding her with a predatory gaze, his green eyes glinting in the firelight. He then leaned in and growled in her ear, "Now kneel before your king."

Sora felt a stab of fear in her heart at his demand but he shot her a look daring her to try and defy him. Slowly, Sora sunk to her knees, her back straight and her bruised, shaking hands resting on the sides of her thighs. Loki looked down and observed her for a long moment, his cruel green eyes filled with immense satisfaction. Then he nudged the inside of her knee with the toe of his boot. "A bit wider if you'd please," he ordered, a devilish smirk curling at his lips.

A warm chill rushed though Sora's body as she did as he asked and spread her legs a little more for him. Every second of this became harder and harder for her to bear. She knew what he was doing and what he intended to do, and she couldn't wrap her mind around the idea of giving into him- even though that was exactly what she was doing.

Loki circled up behind her and gently, methodically, stroked her long hair. Sora froze, her breath catching in her throat at the electric sensations of his soft touches across her scalp. She then sensed his powerful form kneeling down behind hers, his knees pressing against the insides of her calves. Suddenly he grabbed hold of her jaw and yanked her against his chest, pressing the side of her face against his armor. Sora had to grip onto the sides of his legs to keep her balance, her heart seizing in her chest. Tilting her chin up to meet his cold gaze, Loki sunk his lips down onto hers once more.

He tasted her tears as he bit into the soft flesh of her lips, unable to fully restrain his anger towards her. Reaching a hand back, Sora buried her fingers into his raven hair, gripping it tightly in her fist and yanking on it hard to make sure he too felt pain. Loki growled in animalistic lust at the sharp sting that ran up his scalp.

Hearing his groan, Sora grit her teeth and yanked back on his hair again to eliciting the same reaction. Hearing him like this ignited something dark inside of her. It felt similar to when she had aimed her bow at Thandrill earlier- as if there was something lurking beneath her rational calm. She was frightened to admit to herself that she wanted more.

Breaking away from their fierce kiss, Loki put his hand at the base of her throat, wrapping his fingers around her delicate collarbone- a purely wicked smile stretched across his face as he did so.

"For someone who hates violence, I think you're rather enjoying this Sora," he taunted, as he slightly tightened his grip. His free hand snaked down her body then, over the embroidered silks and gossamer fabrics of her dress.

Sora refused to answer his comment, her face burning hot with anger and something else entirely.

Loki's smirk then grew into a large smile as his hand sought out the vulnerable space between her legs, "I think, with the right push, you might even be persuaded to crave it."

Loki then began to rub her through her clothing, using the barrier between her flesh and his fingers as extra friction. Sora gasped his name hotly against his cheek, pulling at his hair and leather collar as the sinful pleasure his fingers were giving her filled her core with liquid fire. Her eyes rolled back as she panted for air, lost in Loki's ministrations. It wasn't until the hand around her neck tightened with a quick jerk that she realized she was giving into him.

Forcing herself to open her eyes, Sora wrenched his hand off of her neck and twisted around, dislodging herself from his lust-filled hold. They were both still kneeling on the ground now only she was free and facing him head on. Loki regarded her with a look of confusion before Sora reeled her hand back and smacked him hard across the face.

Loki stared wide-eyed at the ground for a moment as he adjusted his burning jaw and then suddenly he let out an amused laugh. Turning his sharp gaze back on hers, Loki cracked a maniacal smile.

"My, my, isn't this fun?" he laughed. A hot shiver ran down Sora's spine upon seeing the manic glint in Loki's gaze and she defensively tensed her fingers up like claws. Loki reached out to grab her chin and Sora lashed out, trying to scratch his face.

One step ahead of her, Loki easily caught her wrist in his hand, his green eyes narrowing on hers. Sora gasped then as biting pains from her bruises shot through her arm as he squeezed it unmercifully. Loki noticed her wincing and instinctively loosened up his hold on her.

His brow furrowed in thought as he examined the delicate limb be was now holding. The harsh bruises looked so out of place on her aristocratic milky white skin, but he found he rather liked it. Then he began to experimentally press and prod the dark finger-shaped markings with his thumb, anxious to see how she would react. To Loki, this punishment seemed like fair retribution for lashing out at him before.

Sora only cried out once and then immediately bit back her pain when she saw how much Loki was enjoying it. She wanted to tell him that he was sick, that he was disgusting, but thought that he would probably take pleasure in hearing that as well. Seeing that this would no longer draw a reaction from her, Loki brushed his fingers over her delicate skin, wiping away the initial pain of his previous touches.

"It's such a shame you have to express your love in such an aggressive manner. I thought you of all people would disapprove of such behavior," he taunted her, softly pressing his lips to the marked flesh of her wrist. Sora glared at him furiously as she yanked her arm free from his hold.

"If you think you are going to make me behave by punishing me, you are sorely mistaken!" she snapped, easily pushing herself up off the floor and began walking away from him.

Loki got up onto his feet as he let out a weary sigh. "And just where are you going?" He asked, eyeing her as she stormed towards the tall double doors.

"Anywhere that's far away from you," she snarled over her shoulder, fed up with these games they were playing.

AN Hey haven't heard from anyone in a while! **PLEASE REVIEW** so I know if you're still interested in reading this story. **I won't update unless I hear from you guys**! This scene will be continued in Chapter 17 (that is if I hear from people).


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17:

Loki laughed at her typical obstinacy as Sora retreated from him. Not wanting to let her get away, he took off after her then and in midstride he vanished into thin air. A second later he materialized directly in front her, a cocky smirk on his thin lips.

"I'm sorry dear, but we're not finished yet," he informed her before placing his hands on her shoulders and roughly pushing her off of her feet. As Sora fell backwards, she desperately clawed the air for something sturdy to hold onto, a startled scream caught in her throat.

Loki lunged forwards and effortlessly grabbed her around the waist and the back of her neck just before she hit the ground. "You're the one who started this game, Sora," he told her as he slowly lowered her to the cold floor. His glittering green eyes were now fixed on hers. The marble beneath her sent a shocking chill up her spine as she stared up at the mischievous god above her. "I think it's only fair that you continue to play."

While Sora sucked in a hard breath at his statement, Loki wasted no time in pinning her firmly to the floor. Resting his weight on his elbows, he covered her body with his and began to lavish her neck and shoulders with heated bites and kisses.

Sora struggled beneath him, trying to escape what she knew would be a regretful decision if she gave in. She kept telling herself that this was not her Loki, yet in her heart of hearts she knew that it was. This was one of the many sides of her dark prince that she had not seen until now. Yet, to accept this other nature within him would only lead to her despair.

Loki took pause then, his hands coming to her shoulders before he leaned down and softly kissed her forehead in a strangely loving gesture. It reminded her of sweeter times, feeding the obvious aching between her legs.

Loki whispered her name in the thick air between them and rested his forehead against hers before capturing her lips once more. Sora did not make a sound, nor did she touch him, however inside she felt her walls of resistance begin to crumble. This was her Loki, she realized… regardless of what he did she would always love him despite herself.

When Loki came up for air, he gazed down at her with his sad, lonely eyes. Sora could not take it anymore. He infuriated her but partially because she still loved him. There was no bottling up her feelings when he clearly knew that she loved him as he loved her. So with a cautious hand she reached up and gently stroked the length of his smooth jawline. Loki's eyes closed upon her touch, as if she were a goddess blessing him with her favor. Then, slipping her fingers into his dark main, she pulled him back down to her lips, first administering a short clipped kiss, then a long languorous one. Breaking away from him, she took his chin in her hand and roughly, forced him to look into her steely grey eyes, "Do not think I approve of what you are doing. And do not, for one moment, think that you have won my allegiance."

Loki's expression broke out into a wide smile at her words, "I will admit, that is disappointing news."

Sora then used all her strength to roll them over so that she was on top of him, her legs straddling his hips. She immediately pressed her hands down on his chest, determined to keep him pinned beneath her. She regarded him with a predatory stare as she dug her nails into his leather tunic.

Loki seemed somewhat annoyed by her domineering act at first but then began to change his mind as he started to admire her highly sensual position atop him. Her elegant dress was now bunched up around her thighs, her hair tussled, and she was flushed and breathing heavily from their previous struggle. To him, she looked like huntress, a true warrior queen.

"And now that you have me here, what are your plans for your king?" he asked, playing with the delicate hem of her dress.

Sora glared at Loki through narrowed eyes at his challenge. Then without a seconds pause, she ground her hips hard against the large bulge in his pants. Loki hissed loudly beneath her, his teeth clenched as he instinctively gripped onto the backs of her thighs. Even through the layers of his heavy clothes, there was no way he couldn't feel that. Sora regarded him with a victorious smirk.

"What was that my love?" She asked innocently before sensually grinding her hips down on his groin again, eliciting another throaty groan from him.

In order to still her torturous movements, Loki grabbed hold of her shoulders and pulled her tightly against his chest, kissing her demandingly. Mara bit down on his lower lip in retaliation, trailing her hands down his chest. Her fingers brushed longingly over the soft black leathers and thick green fabrics of his clothing.

Looking up at her with a naughty expression, Loki rolled them over and took her face in his hand then, tilting her head up to look at his slightly flushed face. "Regardless of how you feel right now, I do hope you're ready, Sora, because I've grown tired of waiting," he said, grabbing hold of her corselet and ripping it open.

Sora smacked his hands off of her then and reached up to grab his gold shoulder guard. Wrapping her hand around the leather strap, she roughly tore it off and slid it across the floor. She then grabbed the green lapels of his leather robe in her hands and pushed it off his shoulders, ridding him of another layer of heavy clothing.

Loki ran his fingers through her soft hair, catching the golden circlet he had just given her in his hands and lifting it from atop her head. "We needn't bother with this, I think," he growled casting it aside.

Once this was done, he slipped his hand behind her back, pulling her ribcage up so she was arching her chest into his as he proceeded to unfasten the back of her dress. Sora's heart began pounding in her chest as the delicate fabric suddenly loosened around her body.

Loki lowered her back to the floor and began to slowly pull the dress down over her breasts, exposing her bare skin to the cold night air. Despite her brave face, he knew she was anxious, so he placed a steadying kiss on the hollow of her throat before sliding a hand up her side and over one of the soft mounds of flesh. She breathed out a sigh of pleasure, arching into him as he rolled his thumb over her nipple. Sora curled her body around his like a vine as he pleasured her.

Pulling away from her luscious flesh, he kissed her hard on the mouth before pushing himself up on his knees. Waving his hand over his chest, his tunic disappeared. Sora ran her fingers down his cool, flawless skin.

Not wasting a moment, Loki grabbed the delicate fabric of Sora's dress that pooled around her hips and pulled it off, leaving her completely bare before him. Loki ran his hand down the center of her body, and began teasing the intimate place between her legs with his long fingers. Slipping one digit inside of her, he grinned in satisfaction upon discovering just how wet she was. All their fighting had excited her, and this pleased him to no end. He then began to stroke her in a come-hither motion, striking just the right spot inside of her as his thumb went to work on her clit.

Sora mewed softly, trying her best to hold in her pleasured cries as he heightened the delightful burning sensations inside of her. Determined to break her self-control, Loki then added another finger drawing out a loud sigh from her lips. Sora placed a hand on her lower abdomen, as if that would somehow alleviate the torturous buildup within her. When this did not work, she gripped onto him, only to still find no relief. Loki continued to stroke her clit until he had drug her right up to the edge of release and then withdrew his hand from between her legs.

Sora wanted to hit him for withholding her pleasure but stuffed that urge down as Loki reached behind himself and unhooked his pants, releasing his fully erect manhood from their tight confines. A shiver of anticipation swam up Sora's spine as he removed them and lowered himself between her legs.

Taking hold of one of Sora's soft hips, Loki slowly drove himself into her, inch by inch. His dark gaze never left hers as he watched her sigh his name out in ecstasy. Once he filled her to the hilt, he stayed there unmoving. Her body squirmed anxiously beneath his, wanting so badly for him to move inside of her. "Loki… Please…" she whimpered; her voice needy and her expression almost pained. Wrapping her legs around him she arched her hips into his, trying desperately to pull him further into her. His stillness was pure torture and now she was just teetering on the edge of resorting to violence.

Loki could barely stand this abuse himself, but watching her expression as she called his name, her voice laden with want and desire, was more than worth it.

Finally he began to thrust deep inside of her and Sora sighed at the much longed for pleasure. Loki knew every inch of her and she felt her body quickly warm up to his pace. The moment her eyes slipped closed in a pleasured daze, Loki grabbed her wrists and pinned them above her head, immediately demanding that she look at him. Once her gaze locked with his, Loki began pounding mercilessly into her.

"Tell me you don't want this, Sora," he growled, fighting through his own pleasured groans as he reached a hand between them and began rubbing the ball of nerves between her legs in timing with his thrusts. "Tell me you don't want my hands upon you."

Sora could only cry out his name in response, using her one free hand to grip onto his long hair as every muscle in her body tightened until she thought she could no longer bare it. Finally, her climax hit with extreme force and all she could do was cry out beneath him and ride out the aftershocks.

Loki felt her whole body clench around him and he came inside of her, letting out a growl of ecstasy as wave after wave of pleasure and deep satisfaction rolled over him. He waited for the very last sensations to subside before he let go of her.

Sora panted in exhaustion beneath him as she tiredly looped her arms around his neck, wanting to catch her breath. Loki settled down beside her and buried his head in the crook of her neck, softly kissing the top of her collarbone. Both of them simply held onto each other for a moment in complete silence.

PLEASE REVIEW! I hope you enjoyed, it took me a while, but we finally got to the M rating! Hope it was more than satisfying ;) there will be more in the near future.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18:

Sora ran her fingers lazily through Loki's hair, gazing up at the ceiling. His breath warmed the skin of her chest as he rested his head against her shoulder, half of his body covering hers.

"You are king of Asgard my love," she spoke, breaking the calm in the room. "Is that really not enough for you?"

Loki sighed, running his hand up and down the swell of her hip. "No Sora, it is not enough," he murmured in her ear. His fingers brushed over her bare skin, admiring what he knew she wouldn't let him see for a while after this. His lips soon replaced his hand, gently kissing her warm, damp skin as he looked up into her stone grey eyes. Her gaze seemed harder now, armored. The time she had spent in the woods had changed her drastically and Loki felt a hallowing in his stomach at the thought.

"Goodbye, Loki," she muttered, grabbing up her dress and quickly slipping back into it. Loki watched her in confusion as she headed for the doors, leaving her circlet of office behind.

"Sora," Loki called as he grabbed up his pants and put them on. He could barely fasten them before she had gotten to the door and opened it. He held back, worried that someone would see them in such a state and instead just looked at her in silence.

"I sincerely hope that the destruction of one of us is not the only way to end this," she said before turning out the door and leaving him standing alone in the room.

Loki stared after her a moment, knowing full well that she was not coming back. Looking down at the pile of clothes at his feet, he waved his hand across his body, redressing himself. Then he gathered up the circlet Sora left behind and headed up to his throne in silence, remembering there was a time when Sora and he would have given anything to be together.

_ It had only been a week since the day Loki first kissed Sora in the healing room and already their lives were being turned upside-down. At first, it was as if they were living in a waking dream, meeting each other in secret whenever possible and exchanging knowing glances in public. Sora couldn't keep herself from smiling whenever he was near and it made him happy to see that he was the cause of her happiness. _

_Then one day, Loki notice Sora was no longer smiling. She would not answer the notes he sent to her- all of his magpies flew back to him, the letters still attached to their feet. She would not meet with him in their usual places or walk with him after Council meetings. She had completely cut herself off from him without warning or reason and it was obvious to Loki that he would have to go searching for her, lest she leave him in the dark forever. _

_One afternoon after training with Thor and the Warriors Three, Loki scoured the palace for her. He looked in all the usual places before deciding to head for the Council Chamber. Passing down a row of empty guest apartments, he suddenly remembered something. One time, long ago it seemed, Loki had found Sora in one of the guest rooms having just been a fight with Thor over the peace agreement with Jotunhiem. Finding what he thought to be the right door, he cracked it open slightly and peered inside. _

_There he found Sora pacing the floor, the grey beaded train of her dress dragging heavily behind her. She must have heard the creaking of the doors' hinges because she turned to look at him. _

_"May I come in?" He asked from the doorway._

_Sora nodded quietly, stopping her anxious movements. Loki stepped into the room and closed the door behind him so they could talk. He opened his mouth to speak but it seemed that Sora was one step ahead of him._

_"We should never have kissed one another," she told him, nervously folding her hands inside the long fabric of her sleeves. "And I ask that we never kiss again." _

_Loki nearly stepped away from Sora upon hearing her words. Never get close to anyone… he learned this lesson long ago. To be close to another meant heartache. For a moment, back in the healing rooms, Loki thought he might be willing to risk it. However, it seemed that he was mistaken._

_"You regret what we did?" Loki asked, trying his best to play the part of the stoic, despite his inner restlessness. _

_"A little," Sora confessed quietly, their eyes briefly connecting from across the room. "Please understand I do not want to reject you."_

_"But you do not harbor such feelings for me," he finished, assuming these were her sentiments. _

_"No!" Mara all but blurted out. "I assure you, my feelings are quite the opposite."_

_Loki regarded her with a confused expression, his façade of indifference crumbling and revealing his true desire beneath. The way he looked at her now, the yearning written across his boyish face, was enough to make her have to fight back tears. _

_"Loki," she said, taking a step towards him. "I have thought of nothing but you ever since the day you walked out of the shadows and pressed a bit of silk to my wounded side. Believe me, I do not want to do this."_

_"Then why run… why push me away?" He breathed, hardly believing what Sora had just said. _

_"Because Heimdall saw us together!" she blurted out. "He did not trust that you would save me without a reason so he turned his gaze to you."_

_"And instead seeing only me, he saw us together," Loki concluded, his brow knit in concern. It was now clear to him why Sora was attempting to put distance between them._

_"Yes, he called me down to the Bifrost a few days ago and told me he knew what we were doing," she said, remembering Heimdall's expression of disapproval- and to her shame, hidden behind that was his obvious disgust. "I could hardly believe it. But he says he has seen it, that he has evidence to prove it."_

_"Why hasn't he told my father yet?" Loki muttered. _

_"He said that he is keeping silent only for my sake and only this once. If we continue with our relationship, he will reveal us," she told him._

_Heimdall thought Sora trusted too easily in others and that Loki had exploited this in order to seduce her. 'Entire tomes could be filled with his exploits,' he told her, 'I do not wish to see you among them'. He knew her heart was in the right place, he said, but Loki wasn't wounded animal needing care, he was an asp waiting to strike. _

_Sora had carefully considered his words, and could understand Heimdall's position. Yet, he did not know Loki the way she did. 'You have eyes to see the universe Heimdall, but you do not look deeper than the surface,' she told him, 'I have acted foolish to be sure, but there is one thing I know and that is Loki is not the villain you think him to be'. _

_The Gatekeeper could not know of Loki's admiration for his older brother Thor, or his devotion to his father Odin, nor of his dependence on the kind words of his mother Frigga. He did not know of the way he looked at her from across a crowded room, as if she were the burning light that warmed his soul. And he did not know of the yearning inside the man to become something greater than what people saw him to be. Yes, Sora understood Loki, more than anyone knew. She had the gift of seeing the good in other people, especially when those people could not see it in themselves. Loki could be good and honorable if given the chance. _

_Regardless, she knew that she had broken the law and that was the only reason why she would heed Heimdall's warning and break from her relationship with Loki. Now here they stood, desperate and in pain because she would not allow Heimdall to slander him._

_"I will admit, I have been somewhat careless about our concealment," Loki said, slowly pacing the floor. "We will have to be more careful in the future to be sure."_

_"It is forbidden for us to be together, Loki, and it took Heimdall only a matter of days to discover us," she told him, trying to get him to understand. She would not be responsible for bringing peril down upon them. "We have to stop now before it gets out of hand. The All-Father's wrath will burn us asunder if we are revealed." _

_Hearing this, Loki crossed the room and took her face in his hands, "Then we will become invisible, even to Heimdall's gaze." He wiped away her tears with his thumbs and drew her into his arms. The thought of anyone taking her away from him made him hold onto her tighter. "I will begin my study on the matter tonight. Besides, we need only deceive them for so long. Once Thor becomes king, things will be different. He will be able to make his own commands as well as change that of the All-Father's. Thor is my brother; he would not deny me my happiness."_

_Sora looked into his green eyes and saw optimism there. She only wished that she could feel as confident in his plan as he did. It seemed wrong to deceive her friends for so long, but she had no choice if she wished to be with Loki. _

_"So we must live a lie until Thor takes the throne…" She muttered, her expression a muddle of uncertainty and discontent. "I do not see how we can manage to keep up the charade."_

_"You seem to forget who you are talking to. I am the master of lies and deception, no doubt you've often been informed you of that," he said with a wide grin. "Frankly, I would be disappointed in myself if I could not find a way around Heimdall." _

_Sora laughed, shaking her head in response. What he said was true. She had often seen his mischievous nature put itself to work and was amazed by his abilities. And regardless of his powers, she realized that her fear of discovery did not outweigh her desire to be with him._

_"Aright," she said with a nod, consenting to this insane plan._

_"Yes?" Loki asked, making sure he had heard her right. He could not help the elated smile that spread across his face. _

_"Yes, we will do it. But I still do not think it is wise," she told him quickly, as he picked her up off the ground and squeezed her tightly to him in excitement and relief. Sora laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck. _

_"Whoever said I was wise?" he said with a smirk before kissing her deeply._

_Soon Loki's cool lips and strong embrace made her forget her worries and remind her of how perfect he made her feel. Whenever they were together, they remembered why all the trouble they went through was worth it. _

Loki stopped in front of Sora's apartment door, twisting the gold circlet of office in his hands in uncertainty. He wished to speak with her, but what about he didn't quite know. Admittedly he was ashamed of his rough treatment of her, but she had betrayed him and that he could not forget.

Resting his hand on the wood he breathed out slowly, taking in the stillness of the halls around him. He had chased away the one person he believed truly loved him. This would not pain him so much if he thought he could win her back. But that harsh look in her eyes, the coldness of her manner when she left him in the throne room, made him believe that she was no longer the idealistic, forgiving woman she used to be. He feared the potential darkness he had awoken in her and what that meant for them.

Letting out a quiet sigh, he pulled away from her door and headed to his own rooms.

PLEASE REVIEW! I thank you all who have been keeping up with my story, it's so great to hear from you!


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19:**

Loki's eyes snapped open, the tortured screams from his nightmares still ringing in his head. Once he looked around the dark room, gathered where he was, and remembered all that had taken place in the past few hours, Loki realized that his reality was not such a far cry from his dreams.

He was king, yet that meant he stood alone. What was the Midgardian saying, he pondered... "Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown"? It was a dark and lonely wilderness he now found himself in. The shadows of his room seeming to melt the walls, creating the illusion of infinite space stretching out around him. He was floating there, in the middle of it, the cold and wretched creature that he was. Before him, he saw endless loneliness- and Death being the only one with his arms open, willing to embrace him. Even then, having alluded and cheated Death so many times, he could honestly say he would not call him friend.

He would not allow himself to go back to sleep. Not alone in that bed. Pushing off the covers and standing up, the dark prince looked at the piece of furniture with distain. If people only knew what lurked in his dreams, they would not dare go to his bed either.

Exiting his room, he dismissed the guards standing watch over his apartments, telling them he would not be back for the rest of the night. They cast each other confused glances before leaving, not daring to question their new king. He was Loki, god of Mischief, after all, they did not want to know what he did during the hours of the night.

Loki walked the golden halls with silent purpose. He did not know where he was going exactly, but he knew that he would avoid sleeping anytime soon. In fact, all he felt like doing really was walking and for once in his life stop thinking.

When he passed Odin's Vault, he remembered how his father fell at his feet, too weak from exhaustion to handle his revelation of his son's birth. Loki considered looking in on his father, but then again Frigga was surely with him and he'd rather not distress his dear mother. His visit would not be a happy one and surely his distain would show on his face. Frigga had enough grief of her own to deal with.

Finally he stopped walking, having come upon the door he knew he would end up in front of- Sora's. He had been there earlier that evening, too leery of going in. It wasn't her that he feared facing; it was what he had done to her. Did she consent to him earlier that night? Hadn't she called his name and begged for more even as he injured her? Yet how could he tell what was really going through her head.

He had never treated her in that manner before and he knew affection had played no part in it. It was power-hungry, lustful, steam-letting… the unleashing of both their demons. Loki only wondered what remained after it was over, for things could never be the same between them again.

Gripping the handle on the door, Loki entered the dark room. The first thing he noticed was the night sky, visible through the open doors on her balcony. Filmy white curtains moved gently in the soft breeze, the bottoms stained a deep burgundy as a result of dragging in a pool of spilt wine. A small table was overturned, a jug of spirits laying on it's side next to it. Some books and pieces of parchment lay soaking in the mess. Loki slowly walked over to it and picked up one of the books, taking care not to get covered in wine. The leaves were oozing the red liquid mixed with ink. _Uniting Through Peace: Diplomacy in the Nine Realms_ was the title.

So many books, he observed, setting the ruined text on a shelf. The entire floor was simply covered in tomes and scrolls with no real order to them. It looked as through she had been searching for something... some sort of answer. He had been in her rooms many times before, but never was it in such disarray. He had to wonder if all this was the result of her work over the past month. Was she really that desperate for him to change his mind about the fate of Jotunhiem?

Quietly crossing the living room, Loki opened the door to Sora's bedroom. He could see her form wrapped beneath the covers. She was awake, he could tell by her breathing patterns, but he said nothing as he made his way over to the side of her bed.

If Sora turned around, she would see the boyish, guilt-ridden face of Loki looking down at her. Aching to comfort her and be comforted by her, he pulled the sheets back and slid beneath them. He knew he could never atone for his cruelties towards her, but he still came to her seeking some form of refuge.

Sora remained incredibly still, as she felt the mattress dip down behind her from Loki's weight. Her muscles stiffened, her body ridged with worry as he continued to close the gap between them. She did not know what to think nor what to do. She was too weak to fight him, and more than that, she feared fighting him because of what she might be capable of.

Sora never believed in violence or in the idea that it could ever fully solve a conflict. Yet she had come so close to killing earlier that day and she felt it was right with every fiber. Then, in the throne room with Loki… The violent things she had said to him, done to him and received equally in turn. For the briefest of moments and more than just once, she enjoyed it.

Suddenly she felt his cold fingers touch her bare shoulder, the light contact sending a jolt down her spine. Then Loki wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her snugly against him. He buried his nose in her golden hair as he settled himself.

Sora was unyielding at first, but the longer he held her, the less tense she became. Once she realized his only wish was to be close to her, she began to relax.

Before he came in, she was kept awake by her anxiety. Now that he was there beside her, the worry raging in her stomach ebbed away and all she waned to do was close her sore eyes and sleep. It didn't take long for both of them to drift off and for the first night in a long while, they did not dream.

_There were many feasts held in Asgard, however this was the first to be held in honor of Sora. It was a celebration of her valiant efforts in Jotunhiem. Golden tables near a half a mile long were spread with the most beautiful dishes made from the bounty of the summer harvest. Banners of gold and red were hung about the halls and twisted around pillars, large fires of celebration were lit, and the men and women were dressed in all their finery. It truly was a sight to behold, but Sora hardly thought she deserved it._

_"I have failed in my mission and yet they celebrate as if I were the savior of the cosmos," she whispered to Merin as she slowly nursed a goblet of wine._

_Merin shrugged, beginning to fill his empty plate with food from one of the banquet tables. "Sometimes we just need a hero, Sora… to have an example of the extraordinary among the mundane."_

_Sora laughed then, "I hardly think I can be considered extraordinary."_

_"It seems that they would all disagree… as would I." Picking up a cluster of grapes, he inspected it briefly before plopping it into his plate. "You have done a great service to Asgard, venturing where no one else would dare."_

_"But there was one other who did dare to make the journey with me Merin, I do not see us celebrating his bravery," she argued, looking over at Loki from across the room. The younger son of Asgard stood at the edge of the party, keeping to himself as his gaze loomed over the crowd in his ever-observant manner._

_Merin followed her gaze, assessing the man for himself and seeing only what the others saw, a snake in the grass. "Loki is certainly extraordinary, in an infamous manner. He only volunteered to go with you because he knew it was against his father's wishes," he rebutted. "Surely someone so nefarious is undeserving of praise."_

_"Perhaps we just do not understand him," she suggested, trying to keep the tone of their conversation light, but finding it exceedingly hard not jump to Loki's defense. It hurt her to know what others thought of him. _

_"It is said that evil is innate in him, that he lives off of lies and mischief as you or I live off of food and drink. I'm not altogether convinced of this myself, my reservations on the subject hopefully being obvious to you, but the more I know of Loki, the more I tend to believe that he is not merely a product of his environment."_

_Sora did not try to refute his statement, knowing that she could not win with her mentor. Merin was very stuck in his ways and she saw no reason to fight, especially when it would draw her and Loki undue attention. Instead she sipped her wine and moved onto another subject._

_Across the room, Thor grabbed up two cups of mead from one of the servers and headed over to his brother who he noticed was brooding in the corner like usual._

_He would have thought nothing of it, yet the ponderous look on Loki's face made it obvious that something was preoccupying his thoughts. It made Thor want to entice him back into the throng of merriment. It was seldom that Loki enjoyed himself at these sorts of events- that was, if he was not making mischief. And Loki always seemed to be burying his mind in some problem or other. In Thor's opinion, it was time to put work aside and celebrate._

_Thor followed his brother's gaze to see what was so interesting and found Sora on the other end of it. A wide, knowing, grin spread across his face then. Not many could read his brother, but Thor liked to think he had some insight. Loki and the consul were as thick as thieves ever since they worked together on the peace treaty with Jotunhiem. It wasn't too far of a stretch to believe that his brother may have desired more than friendship._

_Thor walked up to his brother's side and handed him the cup of mead, which Loki took with an unreadable twist of his lips._

_"Why do you not go to her?" Thor asked, playfully nudging his brother with his elbow._

_"Go to whom, Thor?" Loki replied dully, crossing his arms over his chest to display his obvious disinterest in the feast._

_"Your beloved, Consul Sora," he teased with a wide grin, more pleased than ever that he found out his brothers' secret affection._

_"Because, she is not my beloved," he informed him, his lie falling so easily from his silver tongue._

_"A potential conquest then!" Thor concluded, far louder than Loki would have liked._

_Trying to shake of his brothers irritating words, he snorted in response. "Certainly not. What has inspired this absurd notion of yours?" he asked evenly, turning to look at him._

_"The way you look at her," he replied simply. "You can hide your feelings from everyone else in the palace, including father, but you can never hide from me."_

_"And why is that?" Loki asked, curious as to Thor's reasoning. Surely it was nonsense but he wanted to hear what he would say regardless._

_"Because you are my brother," he replied, a soft smile tugging at his lips. It was another simple answer from the thunder god, but one without such a simple meaning behind it. "It is fine if you wish to keep your secret, I will not tell. But I insist you speak with her, tell her of your feelings. You will never know if they may be returned if you don't."_

_Loki laughed then, whether it was at what his brother knew or what he did not, he wasn't sure. But one thing was for certain; receiving crackpot dating advice from Thor was just too precious._

_"Even if what you say we're to be true Thor, neither you or I could pursue her. She is a politician, it would be breaking the law."_

_Thor let out a thunderous laugh then, "Forgive me, but when has that ever stopped you, Loki?"_

_"When indeed," he muttered under his breath, looking over at his lover. She had just finished a dance with an extremely eager Fandral, looking as if she were relieved to get away and breathe some fresh air._

_"Go on then," Thor demanded, cutting into Loki's musings. "She is a beautiful woman, why should my brother not pursue her?"_

_"You better stop saying such questionable things, people will begin to think I'm beginning to rub off on you," Loki told him, sipping the last dregs of his cup and disappearing into the crowd. _

AN: **PLEASE REVIEW!** You know you want to! Oh, and Loki says to kneel before him... in the form of a review.


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